Businesses in the food service sector, including small local coffee shops, bakeries, and suppliers of street food as well as restaurants and pubs, are eager to return to their core competencies. Serving up their healthy, mouthwatering delights that may take us anywhere on the globe in a single bite. It has been a really difficult time, and we appreciate all of our food service heroes. Now that the lockdown is easing, it’s time to adjust and figure out how to deliver 5-star service while being secure.
Food Delivery Will Continue to Exist
It seemed inevitable that food delivery services would take off, and the entire restaurant business has been working hard to stay up. The traditional takeaway staples like Chinese, Sushi, and Italian are at risk as a result of this industry transformation because more restaurants are now providing delivery services. The rapid growth of the delivery market has been largely attributed to the introduction of technology – mobile and digital marketing.
Businesses must decide how to operate while the lockdown eases. Many dine-in restaurants shifted to offering takeout and delivery services after the lockdown was enforced on the food service and tourism sector. A completely new business that had its own difficulties, from taking phone orders to delivering meals efficiently in takeaway packaging, would keep the food hot, safe, and presentable to the standards regular customers expect for dining.
Takeaways Providing a Pick-up Service
A good option to maintain your business throughout as lockdown relieves is to switch to takeout or pick-up service. This is applicable to the whole industry, including already-existing fast-food take-out and grab-and-go locations as well as cafes, bars, and restaurants that may not have previously offered takeout. The recommendations are, in brief, as follows:
- To encourage users to order through phone, app, or online in order to avoid accepting cash payments.
- Customers who are picking up should wait in an area where the social distance regulation can be upheld if they are doing so.
- When an order is ready, clients should come in one at a time. If this is not possible, you should schedule your collection times to prevent crowds from building outside.
Food Safety for Delivery and Takeout
If you’re expanding your business to offer delivery and takeout, you must make sure you’re upholding strict standards of food safety. Your choice of packaging material must guarantee that clients receive their food and beverages at a safe temperature and without contamination from outside sources. Additionally, you must make sure your company has the proper workplace health and safety rules.
Steps to Make Sure your Package is Prepared for Delivery
Many companies have been expanding their offerings to include delivery in addition to pick-up takeaways. Looking for durable, eco-friendly packaging that will preserve your meals hot and fresh is something we offer. They don’t want their delicious sushi, excellent burger bun, or fantastic bean salad to appear inverted.
- Presentation is crucial for providing outstanding customer service. Finally, keep an eye out for packaging that is made to resist leakage and grease—important characteristics to keep your consumers satisfied.
- Businesses that deliver food must warn clients about hazards when they place an order, whether it be over the phone, online, or through a delivery app or website. Before placing an order, customers should be able to easily find out about allergens
- Offering packed lunches to your clients is a flexible approach to providing them with a hassle-free grab-and-go meal. Start by stuffing a paper bag with whatever appeals to you.
- We all need our cup of mocha, latte, or espresso to get us rolling again during these trying times. Disposable cups are a hygienic substitute; simply make sure to use packaging that can be composted.
You can think about adding delivery or takeout options, or expanding your current offerings, to help keep your firm operating as lockdown alters.
Create an Easy Delivery Menu:
After selecting the items for your delivery menu, check to see that the ordering process is straightforward and user-friendly.
1. Put your menu online in #1
The majority of people who want to purchase food for delivery start their search online. These are the things they will be searching for:
- Customers may check your menu online
- They may simply place an order and pay online
- Before customers commit to the order, they check to see if your company has any reviews
2. Keep Your Menu Concise
Keep the menu brief and to the point because hungry customers frequently lack the patience to read through a lengthy menu of choices. For your takeout menu, choose no more than 15 to 20 of your best-selling, readily transportable foods. Once you have chosen your options, group them by category to make your menu simple to use.
3. Make Your Menu Appealing to the Eyes:
If a customer solely interacts with your company through your online menu, you’ll want to make sure that the menu accurately represents your restaurant. Here are some suggestions for menu designs to jazz up your delivery menu:
- Add specialized images
- Use alluring hues and striking patterns
- Be succinct and precise when describing foods
What’s Next?
Nobody knows when we will be able to have a sit-down meal at our favorite bar or restaurant after the pandemic. But it’s unlikely that customer behavior will change overnight. It will take some time for people to feel comfortable going out on their own. There are still options to adjust to a take-out or delivery business despite how swiftly the industry has shifted.
Coronavirus disruption has been particularly important for the restaurant sector. Long-term consequences may be felt by many restaurant enterprises because of the economic recession, supply chains disrupted, tourism ceasing, people remaining at home, and extreme uncertainty. There is an argument to be made for why economic crises are ultimately beneficial for the restaurant industry, despite the fact that a global economic crisis is having an impact on businesses everywhere.
Whatever the future holds, wise business leaders won’t be hasty to forget what they’ve already learned. As the lockdown eases, they won’t alter course; instead, they’ll incorporate what has worked thus far into a new and improved business model.
