There are some who see a difficult situation, in this instance a truly apocalyptic one such as a global pandemic, as very much an obstacle. There are, however, those who see such a situation as something more than a challenge, they see an opportunity.
It may seem like a thoroughly idiotic idea to open a restaurant slap bang in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak but there is a case for those who can afford to take a calculated risk, to do so.
Now there are of course some restaurants that had scheduled opening outlets long before the current crisis struck, as well as franchises that had penciled in opening fresh dining experiences to add to their rosters, but there are, believe it or not, some who have opted to deliberately do so right now.
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Outdoor Seating
If you are looking to make your restaurant a largely onsite asset then you will have to make sure that the greater extent of your property is outside, simply because regulations enforced during the COVID crisis negatively affect indoor spaces.
Creative use of parking areas may be a way to go, that way if and when things return to normality you can easily switch back to a state of relative normality. One thing is for sure, going forward the majority of restaurant tables will be outdoors.
Online Assets
It may surprise you that some restaurants, even in 2020, have little or no online present or at least a very basic approach to covering such a crucial aspect of their business model.
There is no excuse for a new enterprise to not invest the resources needed to create a superb online offering, where the takeout area is now giving pride of place and relevant offers are given to those who elect to make a delivery order.
Meal Kit Deliveries
This area of culinary opportunity is a relatively new one and certainly fits the bill when it comes to making the most of the pandemic era. Pretty much a flashy version of a takeaway delivery, the meal kit offered by restaurants should, in the main, offer a unique plating experience within your own home.
On the face of it this requires an outlet to provide a superb compartmentalized takeaway boxing of what should be a superior dining experience, creating very much a ‘restaurant in your own house’ style of dining.
This requires a great deal of thought and in many ways the design aspect is as crucial as the tastiness of the dishes themselves.
High-End May be the Way to Go
An experienced restauranter knows the value of every single customer and factors in the cost/benefit ratio of every diner. And in the age of reduced foot traffic, it’s hugely important to get the most out of every customer interaction.
Therefore the offering of a high-end product could help a restaurant to make as much profit from every sale as possible.
Now this isn’t as easy as it sounds. You can’t simply put out an inferior product and sell it to the customer as top of the line, especially given that a) the customer is always right and b) is far more aware of the market than in the past.
Either your product must be truly unique or what you offer has to be miles better than the competition, or a bit of both.
Stand Out from the Crowd
While it’s true a huge percentage of restaurants will go under, offering in theory the chance of a newcomer to fill their spaces, it is now more crucial than ever to have a product that stands out from the crowd.
There is every chance as the coronavirus pandemic continues to bite, that the idea of outdoor dining or indeed the purchasing of meals in takeaway form, becomes an ever increasing luxury and that means only the fittest will survive.
This has already led to an increase in very bespoke high-end outlets proving more popular as clientele seek to make the very most of what may prove to be less frequent dining experiences.
Your restaurant will now not only have to produce a top quality meal but they will have to re-think the niche they occupy. It’s time to be very clever with the way your offering is presented to the public.
