Many in the restaurant industry struggled when the pandemic hit the U.S. However, these establishments are slowly recovering. They have found new best practices and trends to aid them in this recovery. Here are some of the best practices of modern restaurants this year.
Being COVID-19 Prepared
Let’s be honest here, no one saw the pandemic coming, especially the restaurant industry. The entire sector was already unstable before it. This led to the sector being largely unprepared for the disaster, leading it to lose more than $240 billion in sales last year. However, we’ve learned so much since then. Protocols for the sector have now been published, and we are finding new ways to serve consumers even if the pandemic is still around to haunt our beloved industry.
Take-Out is King
One way we became more COVID-19 prepared is by prioritizing take-outs above everything else. Many restaurants and cafes nowadays offer take-out services. Some traditional restaurants even decided to join this trend. It’s not something that these restaurants are proud of, because they believe that one of the biggest parts of the restaurant experience is dining inside the restaurant itself. However, take-out pays the bills and it helps many establishments survive during this time of desperation.
The best restaurants have also improved their delivery apps. Some have even partnered with well-known food delivery apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and GrubHub. This has helped many establishments grow throughout these troubled times. Some establishments such as Popeye’s have even found success in their take-out menu.
Sanitization
Even if many establishments in the industry aren’t allowing diners to eat inside the premises, many restaurants still found it essential to sanitize their kitchens and working areas every week. This is to protect their employees from potential infection and to also prepare the re-opening of their restaurant. It’s a proactive way to keep their establishments running and a smart marketing stunt to appeal to consumers who are worried about the virus.
Aside from being COVID-19 ready, many in the restaurant industry are implementing new trends to gain more consumers and to increase revenues in their respective establishments. One of these best practices is by having a simple but specialized menu.
Concentrating on a Simple Menu
Having a huge menu can be tough especially for your kitchen crew. This is why many of the best cafes and restaurants offer the simplest of menus, but concentrate on the quality of cooking. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t serve specials that depend on the time of the day like breakfast. You can get inspiration from a popular all-day breakfast cafe or restaurant, but limit the choice to two or three.
These all-breakfast choices are those that are simple to make, but versatile enough that they can be eaten by consumers as lunch or dinner. A healthy portion of blueberry pancake is always a good choice because these can be served as dessert at any time of the day. A simple frittata is also a good choice because it can be served as appetizers during lunch and dinner. Be creative in your choices!
Having a much simpler menu has many advantages to your establishment. First of which, is faster cooking time. Since your crew doesn’t have so many dishes to prepare every day, they can do it at a faster rate. The second advantage is food quality and presentation. Fewer dishes to make means that your crew can concentrate more on their quality and how they are presented to consumers.
Lastly, having a simpler menu means that you only need to buy fewer ingredients. This can lead you to save more money while also driving more consumers into your establishment due to its good quality of food. This is the main reason why the best restaurants and cafes in the world give out a simple menu with a few but well-made choices.
Loyalty Rewards
Consumer loyalty is important in the restaurant industry. Sure, they might not go back to your restaurant every day, but them coming back once a week or once a month is already a plus. This is why many in the industry are implementing a loyalty system in their establishments.
It’s much easier to manage a loyalty system now than before. Many consumers only need to download a particular app for it to work. That app can then collect points for them and then convert them to rewards. It’s that simple. Creating these apps is even simpler! You can hire an app developer to do it for you or partner with a well-known loyalty reward app. Consumers claim that they are 70% more likely to recommend a restaurant if it has an appealing loyalty rewards system.
Many restaurants and cafes have found some success in applying these trends, and the best part of it all is that it’s easy enough to apply into your establishment right now! So, give these best practices a try to see which one best suits your establishment.
