Now that the world is looking at an unprecedented lockdown to prevent the spread of the Covid-19, all businesses and enterprises, with very few exceptions have found themselves at a loss. If you are a restaurateur, you would have known by now that you are on the wrong end of the lockdown.

 

It goes without saying that your first priority should obviously be the safety of your employees as well as your guests, provided you get any. However, it is imperative now that you have an adequately chalked out plan that can keep you afloat during these times of worldwide crisis.

 

This article will try to layout specific tips and tricks, which may help you in the minimization of the impact that this COVID-19 will have on your restaurant business revenue. It will also aim towards driving new revenue wherever possible.

 

Here are some strategies that you can consider adopting and then see the difference:

 

• Make your hygiene game stronger

 

If you indeed want to remain functional, make sure that you are maintaining the particular hygiene checks and balances recommended by experts. This way, you can stop the virus from spreading to your internal as well as external customers. Double up on your efforts to maintain hygiene and ensure that all your staff washes their hands properly before they touch anything in the kitchen. As for washing, it is essential to remember that your employees must wash their hands with soap and warm water continuously for at least 20 seconds to steer clear off COVID-19 infection. If soap is not sufficiently available, they may also use alcohol-based hand sanitizers where the percentage of alcohol should be more than 70%.

 

Ensure that you are providing sufficient facilities so that your staff can follow these rules of hygiene and enforce the rules if required. Proper supervision is the key as far as the matter of hygiene is concerned.

 

• Train Your staff

 

It is established that you will go to great lengths to maintain hygiene in your restaurant if you are still open when social distancing is the rule prevalent. But what do you do when you come across a sick customer, or someone suddenly starts coughing?

 

All over the world, several restaurants are adopting different measures to make sure that there are no sick customers in their restaurant. Some restaurants are even taking the temperature of the guests before they enter and are denying entry to those whose temperatures are beyond the normal limit or are showing any of the symptoms of COVID-19. If that sounds like too much train your staff to do the following:

 

1. Provide your staff with gloves, masks and such other personal protective gear

2. Whenever someone starts coughing, rush to the spot with tissues or napkins

3. Be ready with ample stocks of sanitizers and disinfectants should situations as these arise

4. Plan ahead for the fast exit of such guests from your restaurant

5. Make sure to thoroughly disinfect anything and everything that the guest might have touched

 

• Welcome Home Delivery Orders

 

Now that almost all the major countries in the world or under lockdown or about to go under lockdown, it is obvious that people would feel the necessity to order food from outside, i.e. get the food home-delivered.

 

If you do not already have a home-delivery app service, consider this the perfect time to start off by investing in on-demand food delivery app development service. If you already have a system in place, customize the normal delivery practices as per the protective guidelines of social contact laid down by experts. Make the system contactless and make sure that the customer can arrive at a designated location near their house and pick up the delivery. Make sure that your delivery partner maintains a distance of 2 meters between himself/herself and the customer. This will minimize the chances of infection to a great extent.

 

• Make Transactions Cashless

 

Now that it is widely known that the virus is spread to a huge extent via the medium of paper currency. It is obvious considering that there is no way to track and verify the source of paper money. So the best strategy to adopt in such cases is to avoid all cash transactions and make the most of the online payment channels now available. Transacting via cards can also be avoided if you can set up payment methods that support UPIs. You will also find that customers will prefer such modes of transaction than cash now that most ATMs are running out of cash.

 

• Make use of digital tools to stay in touch with customers

 

Over-communicating with customers may not always be a good idea. But in times like these when people prefer to stay indoors to prevent infection, try to keep up the communication with your customers. Make use of your websites to push-sell your apps, and through the apps, you can remain in constant touch with your customers via Chatbot and messaging app solutions. It’s high time to shift your restaurant business online by collaborating with a trusted and dedicated app developer. Also, make your social media game strong if you want your customers to remember you and the service you provide. Introduce long-lasting offers, make interactive communications and set their expectations in such a way that they have to rush to you when the COVID-19 restrictions are over.

 

• Be Caring

 

We know that these are tough and trying times and losing patience and temper is more than common when nothing is really going your way. But you have to hold on and survive the low tide like a pro. No matter what the circumstances are, remember to take care of your staff and your customers alike. In fact, in marketing terms, staffs are, in fact, your internal customers. Know that even they are panicked and scared and you need to be calm and composed with them and let them know that things are going to be better in the future. Even if you don’t realize it, your staff are relying on you for guidance and support. Give that to them and be a better boss. Let them know that we are all in this together and will continue to be so until we overcome the situation.

 

These strategies will surely keep you afloat during difficult times like the current pandemic time and help you preserve your customer base for the future. They will not forget you if you don’t forget them.