Now is not the easiest time to be a restaurant owner. Chances are you have to deal with restrictions, whether that’s to do with capacity or the type of service you can offer. One piece of good news, however, is that you’re still allowed to operate, and this means that there’s still hope. Lots of restaurants have been able to not only survive, but thrive, and this should serve as inspiration for you. Let’s take a look at how restaurants can survive a global health crisis.
Prevent Infections:
The very first thing you have to do is make sure that you limit the risk of infections in your staff and to the public. You also want to protect yourself from the public at the same time. This means that you’ll need to take the necessary measures.
At the very least, you will need to add a sanitizer bottle at the front and make sure that everyone uses it. You should have a curbside pick-up service already so you can limit contact. You will also need to install sneeze guards to protect your cashiers. If you’re looking for a supplier, sneezeguardez.com is a good option.
You then have to make sure that all your employees have the basic gear needed. At a minimum, they will need surgical masks, but we suggest you invest in visors as well. Make sure that you have sanitizer at every station and make it a policy that employees sanitize their hands every 15 minutes. Limit access to communal areas such as showers and locker rooms.
Pivot and Diversify:
You will also need to be creative with your services and product selection. One popular option is to start selling derived products. This can be done, and if you have something you’re known for, then you can find someone to manufacture it for you. Know, however, that it can take some time to have a product on the market and there are many regulations you’ll need to abide by.
Another thing you could do is make frozen versions of your products and sell them directly to your customers, or you could open a small deli section. A lot of restaurants have been doubling as small grocery stores during this time. You could have a section with ready-made products that people can pick up for lunch, for instance.
Open a Virtual Restaurant:
Another option is opening a virtual restaurant. The biggest obstacle for people who want to open one of these is finding kitchen space, and you have this already, so take advantage of it. What’s great about having a virtual kitchen is that you can tap into a whole different market than your current restaurant. While you may struggle to sell high-end Italian food on delivery, you might have less trouble selling burgers, for instance. And this won’t require much in terms of logistics. Your cooks will just have a few more recipes to master, and these will likely be much simpler than your current ones.
Times are tough for restaurateurs, but you shouldn’t despair. With a bit of imagination and gusto, you might be able to still win during this period.