Curbside pickup has gained popularity ever since the pandemic made social distancing a mandate. The restaurant owners have devised a method for serving online orders “at the curb” so that the customers don’t have to enter the restaurant or even leave their cars. Curbside pickup offers a safe and practical way to serve clients with minimal person-to-person contact. The restaurants can provide curbside pickup by remodeling their present takeaway model. Offering these services can make a whole new difference in the way you deliver to your diners.

How Offering Curbside Pickup is Ideal for Restaurants?

Most of the restaurants have started online delivery or curbside pickup for many years now. But the smaller and local restaurants have been struggling to set up for various reasons such as additional costs linked with packaging orders, getting the employees to adapt, etc. In the long-run, offering these additional services can add value to your business in several ways.

1. Offers a Convenient Alternative to Customers

The pandemic has changed the way we do business. The restaurants have seen a whole new change in terms of their delivery to dine-in sections. Curbside pickup allows you to serve your esteemed clients by ensuring health and safety measures during these pandemic times. This program offers an alternative to a dine-in where your guests can take a long time to leave. A curbside pickup is an excellent option for the hurried diners or people who have small kids and people who prefer to have the restaurant food at the comfort of their house. Curbside pickup can provide them the ideal experience of having outside food without much waiting at their destined locations.

2. It Opens an Additional Revenue 

Starting the curbside orders does involve some additional costs on the packaging materials and food deliveries. The setup might be slightly heavy on pockets, but with time it is going to add up to your revenue. During the unprecedented times, many of the diners have opted for curbside online delivery. So there would be a continuous flow of income even though the customers for dine-in would have turned out less.

3. It Reduces Dependence on Third-Party Apps

Many of the apps available in the market charge you a hefty fee for availing their services. Offering curbside pickup on your website to extend delivery can give your customers the option to order food, excluding the delivery fees.  The curbside pick up will help you manage the overall delivery and control the services your customers receive. 

4. Tips for Restaurants Offering Curbside Pickup

Implementing new techniques for a better customer experience may look straightforward and rewarding. Follow these six tips to create a seamless and fulfilling experience for your customers. Here are the 6 tips to boost your curbside online orders;

5. Don’t List Your Complete Menu

You may want the complete menu to be available in the curbside online orders, but it is a good practice to have a separate menu for dine-in and online orders. You may consider the time for preparing and delivery, as some foods lose out their taste if kept for a longer duration. This will hamper your reputation and hence always keep a menu that gives you a safe delivery option.

6. Consider Adding New Items to Your Menu

With the new initiative comes the new business plans. This could be the right time to introduce certain products along with your existing ones.

7. Pay Attention to Your Packaging

The food packaging talks a lot about how you care for your customers. A well-packed food pleases the diners when they open it. Soggy paper bags and leaking cartons are a big NO. Unfortunately, regular to-go boxes may not be the right fit for an initiative like this. It’s important to make sure that each food item is packaged well and in a way that rightly displays the professionalism of your business.

• Appropriate containers for storing and packaging. It will be ideal if you have insulated containers to pack, as the food is always hot while the customers come for pick up. Sealing the packaging also shows that the utmost care was taken while packing the food. 

• Seal all food containers.  Pick a sticker to all your containers to seal in the freshness and flavor. Having a transparent cover can help your runners to identify the specific delivery instead of opening and checking the food items.

• Include utensils, napkins, and condiments. Placing the basic amenities like napkins, cutlery and condiments will help them experience the food right inside the car or at a nearby food joint. This also shows that you care about their full dining experience.

8. Follow Food Safety and Sanitization Policies

Food hygiene and safety is one of the utmost things that diners look for while checking a restaurant. Following the sanitization procedures and food safety guidelines is more important than ever due to the Covid-19. 

• Medical check and work procedures.  Ensure that all your staff are healthy and do not show signs of illness when they turn up for work. Also, limit close interaction between employees and ensure strict hand-washing rules at regular intervals.

• Make gloves and masks mandatory. This has been the new mandate in many restaurants. Adding this layer of safety will help prevent the spread of germs and win your customer’s attention.

• Inform your customers about your sanitization systems. Keep your customers well informed about the sanitization practices you are following on your website and order confirmation. 

9. Handout Instructions for Customer Pickups

The success of the program totally depends on customer satisfaction and the smooth functioning of the service.

• Set clear pickup instructions. Your website and menu should give clear instructions to the customer on where and when to pick up their orders. Also, the contact number they need to call for assistance, and the employees attending to this should be aware of the set procedures.

• Make sure the curbside location is labeled. Place signboards on the side of the building or in front of the parking lot. This will help in locating the curbside for the delivery pickup.

• Staff to be aware of delivery instructions. The employees should know when and how to hand out the orders. Also, they should be available when the customer arrives.

10. Talk About Your New Curbside Offerings.

Let your customers know of the new service you are offering them.

• Add a banner outside your restaurant. Hang a banner outside to let your customers know of the new service you are providing. 

• Announce digitally. Advertise it on your website, social media pages, and email.

Conclusion

Curbside pickup or delivery is a smart and innovative way to handle the pandemic era. It can be considered as a great strategy that can be set up for expanding your restaurant business. This facility provides greater convenience to customers and an additional revenue source to your business.