It has been a rough one, and COVID-19 is going to stay at the top of our minds for the foreseeable future. Depending on where you are, your government may have mandated full closures of your business, border closings, and social distancing. The drop in consumer confidence and discretionary spend has followed.
We have compiled a set of suggestions from our team and leading consultants in our community to keep the wheels turning.
Right now, every sale matters. What can our industry do to continue generating revenue, even if it means a departure from normal business operations?
A simple and effective way to help cashflow now while ensuring your guests can enjoy the full experience at your restaurant or event in the future.
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Michelin-starred restaurant Loco, in Lisbon, is selling a voucher with a 15% discount.
It may go against your beliefs, but the offerings need to fit the times. Even if guests are not coming to dine at yours, they still need to eat.
Those dining out very likely will not be looking for a multi-course dining experience. Enable them to continue supporting you with quicker options.
Even if this is something you normally would not do. Either offer them to be redeemed immediately or make a voucher purchase with the discounted redeemable at a future date.
If you have items that can be sold as finished goods, let your followers know the option and allow them the possibility to pre-purchase on your website.
Food writer Helen Rosner has compiled a list of restaurants and bars selling merchandise online.
The knowledge you can share does not have to only happen in person. Set up an (or series of) event/s where you sell tickets and run the events via video conferencing tools like Skype or Zoom.
Bottura has created Kitchen Quarantine, a new IGTV cookalong.
Some governments have implemented emergency relief packages for the hospitality industry. Inform yourself and apply for support.
The decrease in guests means you likely have more time and human resources on hand than you have had in recent memory. Those resources may not be completely lost if you place them to good use and address the long list of things you do not normally have time to get done in the business periods.
Here are a few recommendations:
Work on new concepts and recipes, conduct market and competitor research, review your budgets, address administrative bottlenecks, update your website, and look to overall streamlining of your business.
In the rush of the day-to-day, best practices may unintentionally fall to the wayside. Review processes and tools with your team so they’re ready once business picks up again.
If you have a physical location, take the opportunity to run a deep cleanse and various maintenance jobs that are overlooked.
Prep the visuals and corresponding messaging that you can file away for the future. Content creation is a time-consuming and often multi-person job that requires photoshoots and periods of calm.
If you would like to have someone to speak to about implementing any of the ideas above, we are offering our time for calls. Reach out to our team at support@rsvp-popup.com, and we will be in touch.
