Tag: restaurant owner
Overlooked Operational Efficiencies for Restaurant Owners
Efficient operations are the lifeblood of any successful restaurant, as they lay the foundation for seamless service, cost control, and, ultimately, customer satisfaction. Optimizing restaurant operations becomes paramount in the bustling world of dining, where every second counts. An unofficial survey from Nation’s Restaurant News found that “efficiency” was referenced around 25% more during the last round of earnings calls versus the same period in 2019 by public restaurant companies within that timeframe.
From streamlining kitchen processes to implementing smart inventory management systems, an efficient restaurant can enhance productivity, reduce waste, and boost profitability. Furthermore, smooth operations lead to shorter waiting times, higher table turnover, and a more enjoyable dining experience, fostering a loyal customer base that keeps returning for exceptional service and delicious food.
While restaurant owners often focus on customer service and menu development, several areas where they can improve operational efficiencies are often overlooked.
Top Areas Restaurant Owners Overlook Efficiency
Inventory Management: Implementing an effective inventory management system can help reduce waste, control costs, and ensure that ingredients are always available. Utilize technology to track inventory levels, set up automatic reorder points, and analyze usage patterns to optimize stock levels.
Streamlining Processes: Review all operational processes, from food preparation to table turnover, and identify areas that can be streamlined. Look for bottlenecks, eliminate unnecessary steps, and improve communication between staff members to increase overall efficiency.
Energy Efficiency: Did you know that restaurants use around five to seven times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings? Optimize energy consumption by investing in energy-efficient equipment, installing LED lighting, and implementing smart controls for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure equipment is running efficiently.
Staff Training and Communication: Well-trained staff members who understand their roles and responsibilities can significantly enhance operational efficiency. Invest in regular training sessions to improve skills, promote teamwork, and ensure effective communication between front-of-house and back-of-house teams.
Menu Engineering: Analyze the profitability and popularity of menu items to make informed decisions about pricing, portion sizes, and ingredients. Focus on high-margin items and eliminate underperforming dishes to maximize revenue and reduce food waste.
Technology Integration: Embrace technology solutions like restaurant management software, point-of-sale (POS) systems, and mobile ordering platforms. These tools can automate various tasks, streamline operations, enhance communication, and provide valuable data for decision-making. Check out our Ultimate POS Restaurant Guide.
Vendor Relationships: Develop strong relationships with suppliers and negotiate favorable terms. Consolidate orders to benefit from bulk pricing and streamline deliveries to minimize disruptions and reduce costs.
Data Analysis: Utilize data analytics to gain insights into customer preferences, peak times, and sales patterns. This information can help make data-driven decisions, optimize staff scheduling, and improve overall operational efficiency.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Document and implement clear SOPs for all restaurant operations, including opening and closing procedures, food preparation, customer service, and cleaning protocols. SOPs promote consistency, reduce errors, and facilitate training.
By focusing on these often overlooked areas, restaurant owners can improve operational efficiencies, reduce costs, and provide a better overall experience for both staff and customers.
Restaurant Operations Assessment from Synergy
While the path to success as a restaurant owner may have challenges, you don’t have to navigate it alone. The Synergy team is adept at identifying the issues holding you back and preventing profitability, then defining strategies and implementing proven solutions to reduce food, beverage, labor, and operating costs while maximizing productivity and guest satisfaction. Call us to learn about our Restaurant Operation Assessment packages designed with a variety of budgets in mind: 1-888-861-9212.
Sources:
Nrn.com
Energystar.com
Openai.com
Restaurant Menus are Slimming Down
If you frequent restaurants, you’ve probably noticed that menus have gotten smaller. Years ago, most restaurants had pages upon pages of options to choose from. Today, not so much.
The slim-down of menus began with the pandemic but continues today. Why haven’t restaurants begun bulking up their menus again? Will we see more options soon, or will menus continue to shrink?
It Started With The Pandemic
Restaurants began slimming down their menus amid the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic hit businesses hard, financially and operationally. From March to May 2020, restaurant sales were down by $94 billion dollars.
It’s no longer sustainable for restaurants to continue offering as many menu options as they have in the past.
Why Do Restaurants Continue to Slim Down Their Menus?
During the pandemic, many restaurants temporarily shut down, pivoting to delivery and takeout options. Even though restaurants have reopened, most have continued offering these options because of their popularity. But having takeout and delivery, on top of dine-in options, is harder on the staff.
Continuing to have smaller menus is easier on staff and reduces costs.
Restaurants are also having trouble hiring staff. The number of people dining in is almost equal to what it was in 2019. However, restaurants are having difficulty hiring and retaining employees.
The number of people employed in food service is down by 500,000 individuals since before the pandemic.
Plus, restaurants are now dealing with the soaring prices caused by inflation and supply chain issues. We are facing shortages, and it’s difficult for restaurants to get many items on their menus. When they can get the right ingredients, they cost more than ever before.
How Slimming Down Helps Restaurants
Smaller restaurant menus make running a restaurant easier and more cost-effective.
Having fewer options on the menu is easier for the cooks making the food and allows them to perfect a smaller number of dishes. Many of the menu options being eliminated are more complicated to make. Doing so leaves diners with better-quality food.
Smaller menus are also easier on servers, and of course, on the owner’s wallet.
How Are Restaurants Slimming Down Their Menus?
To save money, restaurants are pushing their most popular menu items while dropping outdated and less popular options.
In 2020, Denny’s removed their Sizzlin’ Supreme Skillet, Choconana Pancakes, Spicy Sriracha Burger, Fit Slam, and Slow-Cooked Pot Roast from their menus.
IHOP is another prime example. They went from a 12-page menu down to just two pages.
Dave & Buster’s trimmed their 40-item menu down to 15 items.
Even McDonald’s reduced their menu offerings. During the pandemic, they eliminated salads, bagels, yogurt parfaits, and all-day breakfasts.
Today, 31% of restaurant operators say they’ve reduced their menu offerings. Of those who trimmed their menus, 30% of operators said they’re also using lower-cost ingredients.
Estimates show that, across the board, restaurant menus are 10-20% smaller than they were pre-pandemic.
Restaurants are being smart about trimming down their menus, keeping the most popular options, and eliminating rarely ordered items. They are also stick to ingredients they can easily get from local suppliers.
Operators have been using technology like operational financial dashboards like Salesforce’s Tableau and Microsoft’s Power BI to track the restaurant’s history. The software shows restaurants how much of an item was sold daily, and even every hour.
Conclusion
With inflation rising and restaurants struggling to hire employees, it’s unlikely we’ll see restaurants bring back the bulk of their menu items.
Slimming down menus makes it easier for everyone, even the consumer. There are fewer options, less food for the chefs to cook, and fewer ingredients for the owners to purchase.
Hopefully, slimmer menus will help restaurants thrive again in a struggling market. If you need assistance reengineering your menu and optimizing it for efficiency, please reach out to Synergy.
Generation Z: What Restaurant Operators Need to Know
Generation Z has disrupted many industries and stumped advertisers with their unusual preferences. This group of young people born between 1996 and 2012 has diverse wants and needs which should not be ignored. With the oldest ones in this group are now turning 26, the buying power of their generation increases considerably each year. Their desires will likely shape the future of the restaurant industry.
Here are a few clues about how to better serve this generation in the restaurant industry.
They Love Takeout and Delivery
The National Restaurant Industry’s 2022 State of the Restaurant Industry confirms that 85 percent of Generation Z uses third-party apps like GrubHub, DoorDash, or UberEats for takeout and delivery. These apps are known to take a cut of the profits, but by deciding not to offer your food through these platforms, you might be cutting Gen Z out entirely. When a member of Gen Z discovers a new spot, they’re likely to tell their friends about it, and they are also likely to visit you in person one day. So while you might lose out on service fees initially, you could be creating more loyal in-person customers down the line.
Reach Them with Social Media Marketing
Restaurant owners need to find the right social media platform to reach potential Gen Z customers. 71 percent of Generation Z is active on Instagram, making it the most popular social media channel. The runners-up are Snapchat and TikTok. Since Facebook is not as popular with this generation as with others, restaurants may want to diversify their social media marketing. Owners might want to tap into video content like Instagram Reels or TikTok; however, it’s important to remember to get your message across as quickly as possible. Researchers have found that the average marketing attention span of Gen Z is 8 seconds–that’s 4 seconds shorter than Millennials.
They’re into Trying New Things
Most diverse generation thus far. 22 percent of Gen Z has at least one immigrant parent.
According to a recent report, 90 percent of Gen Z would be willing to try something new. While earlier generations like Baby Boomers value nostalgia, Gen Z has been said to value uniqueness. Consider adding menu items that are a marriage of the two, like a pizza with a Vietnamese twist.
They Want to Like and Subscribe
First made famous by a few fast-casual leaders like Panera and sweetgreen, Gen Z is more curious about restaurant subscription programs than their elders. 80 percent of them say they’re willing to try a program where they prepay a certain amount for a slight discount at a restaurant they frequent. Offering a program like this could convince more members of Gen Z to become regulars at an establishment.
They Aren’t Big Drinkers (of Alcohol)
Gen Z, along with Millennials, has been notoriously bringing down alcohol sales. These generations tread lightly into addictive lifestyles–and are wary of losing control and tarnishing their reputation with photos and videos that could be posted to social media. If your restaurant emphasizes alcohol, it might be a good idea to supplement this part of the menu with nonalcoholic beer and mocktails.
Although they aren’t into alcohol, this generation does make up for it in their desire to drink other types of beverages. Gen Z appreciates a “third space” like Starbucks, where they can drink a coffee or coffee alternative and sit down with a laptop, not feeling pressured to order a meal. Restaurant owners can set up a part of their restaurant conducive to this, like a small bar going along an exterior window.
While it’s important to honor traditions at your restaurant, it’s also essential to keep an eye on the future. By shifting your marketing plan to be more inclusive of Gen Z, you will help guarantee that your establishment is here to stay.
Tackling Staff Shortages
With consumers hungry to return to restaurants, and owners eager to increase capacity to pre-pandemic levels, many operators are facing a new crisis; severe staff shortages. The National Restaurant Association reports that the “eating and drinking industry shed 2.5 million jobs in 2020.” A U.S. Bureau of Labor statistic reveals that employment at eating and drinking establishments was still 1.5 million jobs below pre-pandemic levels, or down about 12% as of May of this year.
There are many reasons why people may not be willing to return to their restaurant job. Some are still worried about catching the virus. Some have decided to leave the industry for other more stable and better-paying jobs. And with the extra government benefits available, some are content to stay home. Jot Condie, who heads the California Restaurant Association, has said, “the employment gap is a full-blown crisis.” In a survey from the National Restaurant Association, “72% of operators rated recruitment and retention of workforces as their top challenge, up from 8% in January.”
The industry is notoriously volatile, and the makeup of restaurant employees historically, is typically transient – students, aspiring actors, and musicians looking to supplement their income, kitchen staff who move on for bigger paychecks elsewhere. The hours are long, benefits are scarce, coupled with low pay, causing most to be completely reliant upon tips.
Many operators are looking to the summer as make-or-break time for the restaurants that managed to survive the upheaval forced by the pandemic over the last 16+ months. And as they did in the early days of the pandemic, owners are once again forced to be creative in how they staff their restaurants.
An article from NCR outlines how operators can attract the best talent to staff their restaurant, using the following six key strategies:
Stress Employee Safety – For those with safety concerns, make sure your website and job opening posts emphasize all the safety precautions you’re taking to protect your staff. Be specific about the protocols in place, such as providing personal protection equipment and paid sick time.
Offer Unique Perks – Driven by fierce competition and a limited applicant pool, restaurant operators are offering an array of incentives ranging from immediate pay, increased hourly wages, free college tuition, or a raise after a 90-day performance review. While smaller establishments cannot afford to provide these costly incentives, other attractive perks could be a mentorship for candidates who want to learn about running a restaurant or opportunities for advancement into roles with increased responsibility.
Make Applying a Breeze – You must look at your company’s website to ensure it’s user-friendly and easy for candidates to apply online. More candidates look for restaurants offering online applications because it allows them to apply anytime from anywhere. Don’t overlook the importance of your online application process, or you will be at a distinct disadvantage for attracting the best talent.
Move Quickly – You must be prepared to engage with applicants quickly before other offers pull them away. Consider using a text message business card as texts have a 99% open rate, and it is the preferred communication type for millennials, and Gen Z. Texting allows you to interact immediately with candidates to pre-screen their qualifications and schedule interviews.
Showcase Your Company Culture – If you are relying only on help wanted signs and ads, you miss out on a wealth of social media benefits. Be creative to attract more applicants. Showcase your restaurant’s culture on all your social media profiles and your website. Post photos of your team having fun while serving customers. Include video testimonials of your staff sharing all the great things they love about working at your restaurant, such as flexible schedules, great pay, employee discounts, supportive teammates, and anything that sets your restaurant apart. Keep your social media pages updated.
Solicit referrals and recommendations from your existing team – Your best employees are a great asset for identifying qualified candidates. If they enjoy working at your restaurant, they’ll likely recommend friends who are hard workers that would be a good fit. Reward your staff with incentives to provide extra motivation to submit referrals. Consider incentives such as bonuses, company swag, time off, gift cards, or a reserved parking spot, or give them their preferred schedule for a month.
A well-performing team is your best advertising tool, so make sure you’re keeping your current employees happy as well as you focus on hiring new staff. Smokey Bones, CEO James O’Reilly fosters “human-centric leadership.” For example, offering “generous benefits beginning on day one of employment, including basic medical, prescription drug, a la carte hospital, illness and disability benefits, scholarships for all employees and family members, benefits and discounts on thousands of companies products and services, legal, and mental health services.” A supportive work environment fosters hope, happiness, and innovation, says GSR Brands CEO Roger David. “Company culture and values positively impact employee satisfaction, so if building a solid culture isn’t at the top of your to-do list, it might be time to add it.”
The pandemic changed how people want to work and what they expect from their employer, so what can operators do to stand out? QSR Magazine reports the following:
Across the nation, operators today are faced with difficulties finding and retaining qualified workers to fill their team and meet increased demand. Therefore, it is critical to recognize what today’s workers want, what attracts them, and what will make the difference when hiring and retaining employees. If you need help navigating these new challenges, Synergy Consultants and our team of industry experts is here to help!
The Latest Restaurant Tech Trends and What’s Coming Soon
Over the past year, restaurant owners have seen the industry go through massive ups and downs. We furloughed employees. We embraced UberEATS. A horrifying 17% of us closed our doors for good. And now, we’re facing yet another unique challenge: the future.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that many of the changes ushered in by the pandemic will stick around long after everyone removes their masks and resumes dining in our restaurants. This is particularly true of the latest restaurant tech — but what exactly is coming our way? Here are a few tech trends we think will be part of the “new normal,” as well as a few that might be on the horizon.
Online Orders
When the pandemic first hit and lockdowns began, any restaurant that didn’t have a robust online presence was at a distinct disadvantage. In fact, restaurants without an online presence were at a disadvantage even before COVID-19; online food orders have grown 300% faster than dine-in traffic for the past seven years!
If you want your business to succeed in 2021 and beyond, you MUST have an online ordering/delivery system that’s user-friendly and accessible. If you don’t, you’re missing out on a huge slice of the market!
Paperless Menus and Contactless Payment
If you go into a restaurant today, you’ll often find a QR code on the table so customers can access the menu or even pay their bill. This technology quickly became popular during the pandemic, but it appears that it has really resonated with diners. According to research from the National Restaurant Association, 21% of customers look for paperless and contactless options when choosing where to dine.
AI-Based Supply Chains
This may sound like something from a science fiction novel, but it’s true: restaurants are starting to use artificial intelligence to determine their supply chain. Every order your restaurant takes is the data point for these AI bots, and they use that data to predict how many 8-oz sodas you’ll need, how many chicken thighs, and countless other details they can then report to your supplier. According to early adopters, this AI-based system has a 92% accuracy rate — and that means it just might be the way of the future.
“Cloud Kitchens”
As food delivery becomes the norm throughout the restaurant industry, some restaurateurs are looking for a way to cut costs, even if that means getting rid of their restaurant space. Rather than rent or own a specific location, some restaurants are going rogue, becoming “ghost kitchens” or “cloud kitchens” that operate off-site solely for delivery. This trend is attractive for current restaurant owners and aspiring restaurateurs alike, as it is significantly cheaper to operate a cloud kitchen than a traditional restaurant. It may be that we start seeing cloud kitchens pop up all over the country as the pandemic recovery continues.
Of course, no matter what kind of kitchen you’re running, you will need to offer quality customer service to keep your guests coming back. And if you’re going to provide exceptional customer service, you need to manage your training and your staff effectively.
With the Synergy Sync training app, you can easily provide consistent training to your employees — even across multiple locations! This will help guarantee that your restaurant staff is always properly trained and giving your customers the best.
“The Great Resignation”: How to Keep Your Employees in a Post-COVID World
Over the past year, companies have fought hard to keep their businesses operating in the face of COVID-19. This challenge has been particularly significant for the restaurant industry, which relies on social gatherings and in-person meetings to make money. According to Business Insider, about 17% of all U.S. restaurants had closed permanently by December 2020, and the pandemic is unquestionably to blame.
But now, as the world reopens, restaurants are facing a new challenge: a lack of workers. Experts anticipate that many Americans across the workforce will not be returning to their pre-COVID jobs in the coming months – and for some, that is a deliberate choice.
Why People Are Leaving
Admittedly, a shortage of workers in the restaurant industry is not a new phenomenon. In May 2019 (eight months before the first COVID-19 case was reported in the U.S.), the American restaurant and hotel sectors had an astounding 991,000 job openings across the country. With nearly a million unfilled positions, the industry was already forced to reevaluate how it recruited and retained employees.
But then, the pandemic happened.
Over the past year, Americans from all corners of the workforce have had time to reassess what they want from their lives and their jobs. Some want more flexibility in their hours so they can spend time with their loved ones. Some want better pay or more generous benefits. Some want to pursue new fields entirely, following their interests to a job that might bring more personal fulfillment.
All this soul-searching has led to what economists are calling “the great resignation.” Up to 40% of workers – including more than 20% of restaurant workers are leaving their current industries permanently to look for greener pastures.
What Restaurant Owners Can Do
Restaurant owners are likely feeling a lot of pressure right now to make their employees happy. However, this is a unique opportunity for owners to invest in their employees and create a better working environment throughout their restaurant.
Proper training can help your workers learn valuable skills that will serve them in their restaurant careers. Expanded benefits like paid sick leave can give your team the freedom to take care of themselves (and this benefit can attract new talent). Simply giving your employees the support they need to feel heard and valued in the workplace can be instrumental in attracting and hanging onto your best workers.
“The great resignation” paints a bleak picture for employers across the American workforce, and the restaurant industry is no exception. However, there are signs of positive change; May 2021 saw 186,000 people rejoin the workforce in bars and restaurants. If those employers learn to invest in their workers through training and support, they will likely experience less turnover and a happier staff. SynergySync is the industry’s best training platform for your entire team. It includes digital checklists, a newsfeed for communication with your entire team, a library of forms, and the best operating practices, comprehensive FOH and BOH training videos, available in both English and Spanish. We are confident that our training platform will increase your revenue, save you money, significantly improve your operations, and dramatically improve the guest experience because your entire team will be in SYNC.
What are Standard Operating Procedures, and why would it be disastrous for my restaurant not to have them?
In Dana Spiotta’s short story “Control,” she imagines a high-end restaurant owner’s perspective on customer service, “Although a great restaurant experience must include great food, a bad restaurant experience can be achieved through bad service alone. Ideally, service is invisible. You notice it only when something goes wrong.”
While fictional, her observation on the need to be consistent and precise in the restaurant industry rings true. Top restaurants do not gain their prestige accidentally. Behind every successful restaurant is a set of rules and standards governing the way things are done. Standard operating procedures, or SOPs, are workflow systems and expectations put into place by management to keep things running smoothly. (These are sometimes also referred to as standard operating systems.)
What do SOPs provide?
SOPs provide the answer to the question, “How do we do things at this restaurant?” Many restaurants make the fatal error of answering this question casually. At these restaurants, training usually happens by word of mouth, and these procedures are only as consistent as the person who happens to be providing the training. Instead, SOPs should be well-documented in a restaurant handbook and implemented through a restaurant training program. With written procedures, there is less confusion and more consistency among staff.
Back of House Standards
How thinly should tomatoes be sliced at your establishment? When should food supplies be thrown out? What temperature should different types of meat be cooked to? Food preparation SOPs can help keep menu items tasting consistently fresh, minimize food waste, and, most importantly, ensure food safety.
Customer Service Standards
After being seated, how quickly should a guest be greeted? Should waiters bring out waters for everyone before getting drink orders? How often should waitstaff check back? Although these questions could be answered using common sense, different interpretations could lead to varying customer service experiences, from not enough attention to way too much. To make restaurant experiences uniformly positive, set specific guidelines and expectations for customer interactions in standard operating procedures. A great way to achieve this is through a script or flow chart that can provide visuals for interacting with a guest. Restaurants should publish these charts in a restaurant handbook and make them a part of a restaurant training program.
Effective Time Management
Standard operating procedures clarify many of the inconsistencies that come up during meal service. At a restaurant without SOPs, managers will likely spend time looking out for and correcting minor employee errors in the way things are run. With the presence of SOPs, managers will be free to spend more time on the things that matter and less time on correcting staff for mistakes they shouldn’t be making.
Why would not having SOPs be disastrous to my business?
In addition to negatively impacting company culture and creating confusion, attempting to run a restaurant without SOPs could lead to some genuinely devastating outcomes for a business.
Customer Service Lawsuits
Not doing things by the book could cost a business. Some of the most common lawsuits against restaurants include slip and fall accidents, harassment, and discrimination against customers. Luckily, most of these are preventable with SOPs in place. Furthermore, having these policies outlined in writing could help clear up discrepancies down the line.
Food Poisoning Lawsuits
It is sometimes easy to forget that customers’ health and safety are on the line in the food business. Chipotle was famously sued for $25 million this past year due to food poisoning, sickening people on a large scale. Food poisoning is preventable with specific necessary food safety standards in place. Making these a part of the standard operating procedures is essential to keeping customers safe.
Poor Reviews
As of a 2016 survey, 90% of consumers say that they check online reviews before visiting a business for the first time, and 84% of people even trust online reviews as much as they trust a recommendation from a friend. Good reviews can really help grow a business. On Yelp, raising a review rating by one star equates to a 9 percent increase in revenue. Inconsistent food and service are what lead to these bad reviews. Outlining what makes an excellent customer service experience in a restaurant’s SOPs is key to keeping reviews positive and keeping restaurant guests coming back for more.
Ultimately, standard operating procedures help restaurants build a culture and brand that delivers five-star service every time. Businesses currently operating without SOPs should consider creating them, documenting them in a restaurant handbook, and implementing them through an employee training program.
For just $2.17 a day, you can take control of your restaurant with the Synergy U Restaurant Management Training platform. Our app-based e-Learning training is an easy-to-use program and contains standard operating systems you can implement across all locations. 2021 is your time to get your restaurant organized, systematized, and consistently running like a well-oiled machine.
Restaurant Reopening: Alleviating Fear
After a nearly two-month nationwide lockdown, the US economy is finally starting to open up. As of today, all 50 states are at least partially open. If you stepped outside this recent Memorial Day weekend or watched internet footage of celebrations, you would think that people forgot that a pandemic even exists–throngs gathered in public places, many ignoring social distancing and facial covering guidelines. The fact of the matter is, no matter how eager people are for things to get back to normal, things are still not normal. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of over 100,000 people in the United States and according to the World Health Organization Program Director Dr. Mark Ryan, “We’re still very much in a phase where the disease is actually on the way up.”
Let’s take a look at some timely statistics to get a better understanding of where things stand. Surveys from McKinsey & Company reveal that 80 percent of American consumers who have not yet returned to out-of-home activities are “are largely waiting for medical authorities to voice their approval, safety measures to be put in place, and a vaccine to be developed.” Datassential reports that 57 percent of people are more concerned about a public-health crisis over 43 percent who are more concerned about an economic crisis.
Additionally, consumer confidence is lower than it was in early March as shown from a recent study from Morning Consult. Further, businesses have strict safety mandates to follow in each state and county where they operate. Complying with proper health protocols is top of mind for consumers and businesses alike. This coupled with the fact that many are feeling a negative financial impact from COVID proves that businesses, particularly restaurants, need to establish real value and differentiate themselves from the competition.
It’s not just the consumers–workers are fearful, too. A survey of 1,000 American workers conducted by PwC illuminated many concerns about returning to work. 56 percent stated they would prefer that their employers provide them with personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks. 51 percent wanted customers to be required to follow safety and hygiene practices.
Here’s what restaurant owners need to do to assuage the valid concerns that both their employees and guests have during this crisis:
- Follow mandates as outlined by your local and state governments: this may vary among states but would usually include reducing dine-in capacity, strict sanitation protocols, following social distancing (for ever one in the establishment), establish a maximum amount of guests per table, and restrictions on bar service.
- PPE for your employees. Invest in personal protective equipment for your employees. This includes facial coverings, disposable gloves, hand sanitizer, and sneeze guards.
- Establish work guidelines. Create a plan for how to deal with employees who feel they may have contracted COVID, or whether or not they have concerns about their personal safety. Share these guidelines with employees so they understand you have procedures in place to handle their concerns.
- Commitment of Safety: post on your website a statement on how you are following guidelines that ensure the safety of both patrons and employees. Make it clear that their health if your priority.
- Use social media. Utilize social media to illustrate that your restaurant following proper safety guidelines and procedures. Remind them that you are still offering multiple options for ordering–curbside pickup, takeout, contact-less delivery and drive-thru.
If you have questions about how to strategically reopen during this difficult time, Synergy is here to assist. Please contact us with your concerns about navigating this new environment.