Food For Thought

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Eating Out In The “New Normal”

April 23, 2020 - Heading out to dinner? In the words of college football analyst Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend.” This is on everyone’s mind these days.  Will we ever be able to go out for a meal or happy hour again and feel safe? Given the current circumstances, food establishments must now change the way they operate as it relates to the customer experience.  How does this affect you, and can customers and employees be assured that the restaurant has done all they can to ensure a safe environment? 

Eateries will now need to be known for their cleanliness and safety, not just for the best burger or chicken parmigiana in the city.  Whether it’s a restaurant, food truck, theme park, catering company, or fast food, your operation will need to be known for leading the way in key standards for sanitation and cleanliness. 

Food establishments will likely be required to follow new state and federal mandated guidelines for employees, guests, and customers.  For example, we may be seeing disposable menus or tablet menus that are sanitized after each use.  Additionally, all food service standards including table capacity, will certainly be reexamined and redefined. 

There is so much to think about…

· Who will determine the allowable number of tables per square foot of your restaurant? How will this impact profitability?

· How involved will the government be in these new requirements? 

· Will your customers pick up their own order from a hotline instead of having servers deliver to the table? How many jobs will this eliminate?

· Servers wearing masks and gloves can put quite a damper on an upscale romantic dinner experience. What are the options?

· Will a wellness check be required before customers enter a restaurant or employees start a shift? 

· How will buffet food operations change? Will they go away completely?

These are just some questions restaurateurs will need to answer as they begin to bring their operations back to life. Our lives were forever changed after September 11th, but we adapted and are much more vigilant with security. The same will hold true for our current challenge with COVID-19. Now is the time to think about changing your approach and building in the appropriate levels of safety to ensure the long-term confidence of your customers.

While all of this may seem overwhelming, these new realities provide some serious ‘food for thought’ for businesses in a post-COVID19 world.

About the author: Former Disney executive and Magic Makers Group expert, Barry Jacobson spent 37 years creating over-the-top premium experiences for Disney, the Dallas Cowboys organization, ClubCorp, Meeting Professionals International, and more. His hands-on approach for developing a culture of flawless delivery through a proactive service mindset helped to create “magical memories that last a lifetime” for guests from all over the world.

www.barryjacobsonconsulting.com | www.magicmakersgroup.com