Some states are reopening, others are reclosing, and still others are stuck someplace in between. Restauranteurs have it especially tough during this global pandemic because their businesses need volume in order to make up for already thin margins. Most restaurant managers even have a magic number of tables in their heads that they need to turn over every day in order to make a profit, and now they find themselves roping off or removing half their tables to enact social distancing.
Further exacerbating the issue is that the general public has been cautiously returning to public life, meaning that they’re not eagerly sitting in public dining rooms again. There is some good news, however. Those same folks are indeed willing to eat out—specifically, to get take-out so they can eat safely at home.
If your restaurant has never set itself up for pick-up or delivery, this whole process might seem daunting. Thankfully, RunningRestaurants.com has a tip sheet for how to handle this transition. Here are a few of our favorite concepts:
Evaluate your menu
Now is a good time to pare your menu down to the essentials. Ask yourself, “What do we do best?”, “Which meals use similar ingredients so we can keep our storeroom simple?”, and, “Which meals keep best during travel—that is, don’t get soggy or look unappealing after twenty minutes?” Make sure you choose containers and packing materials that will hold up well.
Create simplicity for families
Many of us have had a lot more time at home lately, so we’ve definitely gotten more use out of kitchens than our otherwise busy lives would permit. After a few mishaps in the oven, it’s fair to say that many of us are starting to look at restaurants as a lifeline to normalcy!
Understanding that many of your takeout or delivery orders are going to be for households, one idea that will simplify everything is to create family-style meals. Modify your existing menu items to feed three or even four people, adjusting your prices accordingly. Your kitchen staff will appreciate the simplicity, too, since four diners might all be eating the same thing rather than four different things.
Keep it personal
Personalizing the experience will help you show gratitude to your clientele. For example, consider including a simple thank-you note with each order. Your employees should be getting the customers’ names anyway, so the notes should be easy to address. And it’s a good idea to have the preparer sign those notes and add a reminder that they should call if they have any concerns:
“Thank you so much, Kathy! We hope you enjoy your lasagna! Let me know if you need anything. —Mark // 406-555-5555”
You’ll naturally want to know if these efforts are translating into a great customer experience. We’ve got more good news: that’s where The Brandt Group comes in. Our flexible survey system allows us to adapt to whatever’s going on this month, so for now, we can help you monitor your take-out and delivery experiences with our mystery dining program. And hopefully, someday soon, we can pivot back to evaluating your dining room, in-person and with this strange time well behind us all. Let’s keep those standards high and make sure you keep making customers for life!
