As a restaurant owner, your priority is the safety of your team and your guests. Once you create a safe place for your customers and staff, you need to get proactive and productive. The year-end is around the corner, and this holiday season can bring in all the low revenue you had for the last couple of months.

Here we present some great ideas and tips to help your restaurant minimize the revenue impact caused by the coronavirus. Let us look at all possible ways to restart and get it going.

Layout the guideline that you will follow when you have dine-in guests. Streamline your service and promotion activities that can drive your business.

During challenging times, your loyal customers will hold your hands. Remember that it is the right time to leverage and extend links with your loyal customers. They will be happy to avail your services and get your business running.

Ways to Handle Coronavirus in Your Restaurant

The pandemic has stayed with us for months now. No one knows how long this situation will last. With this changing situation, the restaurants should implement the necessary changes and act accordingly.

The changes to be implemented are broadly classified as:

• preventative measures that you can take to decrease the loss, which was caused due to the pandemic.
• proactive initiatives that can help you drive incremental revenue now — while setting your restaurant up for an eventual return to normalcy.

1. Make Your Restaurant A Safe Spot For Diners

Sanitizing the restaurant is the first and primary responsibility. Ensure it is cleaned from all sides, including your tables and chairs. Provide a safe and sanitized place for the safety of your diners. Pay due attention to clean surfaces, switches, doors that come in contact with your customers.

Many restaurants have employed professional cleaning staff to keep up with the sanitation drive. This helps the restaurant to become a safe place to dine-in or for take-away orders.

The staff should be provided with antibacterial gloves to maintain a high level of hygiene. When your team is well taken care of, the news spreads. Let your customers know that your restaurant is the safest place in the outside world.

Have sprinklers set in, which sprinkles and disinfectant at regular intervals. Place disinfectant napkins on each table. Choose to put more spacing between each table, and advertise these new settings in your social media for your customers to know.

2. Open Up Your Reservation Policies

It can be a good idea to lower rates for walk-in diners and for people who avail of your services for the first time. Allow more flexibility so guests can book through your website and channel partners.

• Try engaging with third-party apps and businesses to spread the word about your restaurant. 
• Modify your cancellation policies to support the situation. Eg: If you follow a no-show fee, consider waiving it off.
• Make adequate changes to your floor plan. Let your diners know that you have created a room for each guest.

The best way to avoid no-shows is by contacting the guests once they have booked a table. You can reassure them of the safe practices you are following, and also, this is a good time to tell them about the ongoing promotions that you are running, like a complimentary snack, drink, or loyalty points, etc. In this way, your table is confirmed, and your diner feels connected with you for the service and the care you are extending.

3. Train Your Staff To Deal With Sick Customers

The sick people are supposed to be indoors and away from public places, but there can be situations when your diners show symptoms such as coughing.

You need to take adequate care when some clients show symptoms of covid-19. The staff has to be trained to handle such situations. All guests should be thoroughly checked for temperature before they enter the restaurant.

• The staff should be equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and masks. 
• They should carry tissues or napkins with them.
• Offer the guest sanitizer or other disinfectant.
• If required take the guests across to medical resources.
• Disinfect each table, utensils, glasses, and surface.
• Plan for such adverse situations and be prepared to handle them.

Protecting your employees and making the other customers feel safe remains the need of the hour.

4. Offer Curbside Pickup

You can offer curbside pickup to your customers with an assurance to follow all safety guidelines. Reserve a few spaces near your restaurant and train your staff for proper handling of curbside orders, contact-less delivery, and payment.

5. Extend Your Delivery Services

Now is the right time to set up delivery services for your restaurant.  When your customers are anxious about visiting a restaurant, you can adapt by bringing your business online and providing home delivery of food. Plan your menu for families to enjoy dining at home. People still like to gather in small groups, so providing them with catering options or food delivery from your restaurant can keep you top-of-mind.

Bottom Line

The coronavirus pandemic is an unprecedented crisis that has hit globally. There is a lot of uncertainty regarding how long it will last.

Take this economic slowdown as an opportunity to build your relationship with your regular clientele. Human connections and food go hand in hand. Thus, leverage this thought and develop your strategy to attract your diners to come and engage with their friends and family securely. Let your customers know that you have a safe place to host them and get them together. Your community will be happy to have such a restaurant that offers a safe-haven.