Restaurant owners all over Canada have just finished up a year that saw their restaurants empty for most of it. What COVID-19 has done to the restaurant industry is unheard of. Seats have gone unfilled for months. Needless to say, many eateries are hurting. Sadly, many have gone out of business.
In 2021, new steps are necessary in order to keep restaurants from closing their doors for good. They include changing up the menu – and that doesn’t necessarily mean varying their dishes for sale. Restaurant owners, read on!
Make dishes easy to prepare.
It’s vital that you continue to focus on takeout orders. Unfortunately, none of us know just how long this pandemic will last. Therefore, it is wise to advertise your takeout and/or delivery options as best you can for the foreseeable future. When having a menu that is specifically designed for takeout orders, you should consider removing and/or revising some of the dishes you would normally serve in your dining room. This will help to make them easier to prepare and easier to deliver.
“For instance, the Pittsburgh-based restaurant Acorn recently abandoned its usual offerings to create a limited menu of to-go dishes,” describes Katherine Pendrill on TouchBistro.com, “Instead of complex entrees such as spaghetti squash with smoked salmon and whole duck, Acorn’s new takeout menu is made up of sandwiches and easy-to-prepare side dishes like mac and cheese.”
Offer comfort food.
Generally, something is considered “comfort food” when it provides a sense of nostalgia or has sentimental value for someone. Among the most popular comfort foods, according to Emily Saladino on Jetsetter.com, are macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken and waffles, deep dish pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, tacos and even something called a “garbage plate”.
“It typically involves a choice of protein (cheeseburger, hamburger, Italian sausages, steak, chicken, or hot links) and a starch (home fries, pasta, French fries) beneath meat gravy,” she explains.
“It’s also worth noting that certain items that may have sold well in your restaurant, may not be as popular as takeout options,” Pendrill reminds us, “COVID-19 has fuelled the sale of comfort food at grocery stores and some restaurants may notice a similar trend. Pay attention to what types of items customers are buying or even solicit direct feedback so you can eliminate poor performers quickly.”
Create more spacing in your dining room.
During a non-lockdown situation, it’s still important to practice social distancing. We imagine that even in a post-pandemic world, restaurant patrons will still feel more comfortable having ample space between them and other guests of your establishment. Place your tables further apart and consider setting up physical barriers between them.
As Melissa Couto reports for CTV News, “Emma Rankin, an instructor in the tourism, hospitality and culinary arts program at Fanshawe College in London, Ont., expects restaurants to move away from built-in booths and towards movable furniture that offers more flexibility within a space.”
Allow your customers to place orders online.
Be sure that your restaurant’s website isn’t just for show. Let its visitors place orders for their meals directly! With Unity Payments, you can quickly set up an online ordering system for your restaurant. To learn more, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-661-3761 or email us at info@unitypayments.ca.
