The coronavirus pandemic has forced business owners to pivot and embrace the changes that have come with this new normal. The restaurant industry in particular has had to adapt, as dining rooms are forced to close, and owners must rethink their ordering and payment processes. These changes have resulted in a primarily off-premise dining strategy. Kinetic12, a management consulting firm operating at the center of the food industry, stresses that these fixes will not be temporary; restaurants must continue to adjust to these changes not only to grow, but to survive.
During a recent BT Hospitality segment meeting, Bruce Reinstein, a Kinetic12 Partner and restaurant industry expert, discussed the changes restaurants must make to be successful. His recommendations included:
- Prioritize safety. While many restaurants have externally marketed their plans to safely reopen to customers, most will fail to sustain these processes long-term. It is essential that safety protocols are not just put in place and emphasized when a restaurant initially reopens, but rather employees must be trained to consistently maintain a clean environment.
- Give the customer control. Customers know what is in their best interest and want to be able to select the best dining option for them. Whether it is eating in, taking out, calling ahead or using an app to order, presenting options for a customer to select from will prove to be beneficial in the long-term.
- Create easy-to-use technology services. While younger patrons have historically been the ones to use food ordering and delivery platforms, people of all ages have turned to their phones to create a touchless ordering process. To remain competitive and appeal to a broader range of customers, restaurants must offer accessible and simple to navigate apps as a means of ordering food and paying ahead of time.
- Be efficient through simplification. To be profitable today, restaurants must improve their overall productivity by reducing their number of employees and the types of food they offer. It is recommended that a restaurant assemble a lean, team-oriented staff that can wear multiple hats. In addition, menus cannot be one-size-fits-all. Instead, they must be tailored to the delivery method chosen, such as a smaller menu that is delivery-friendly for to-go orders.
To read Reinstein’s whitepaper, “What Does the Restaurant of the Future Look Like?” which captures the 15 components he sees as crucial to the restaurant of the future, click here.
Learn More
Bennett Thrasher’s professional advisors understand the business issues restaurant owners are facing in the wake of COVID-19. For more information on how our firm can be a resource to restauranteurs and franchisors during this time, contact Cory Bennett by calling 770.396.2200.