“We’re All In This Together”
No one is exempt
The restaurant game has new rules due to COVID-19. The rules may seem cruel and overbearing, but so is this virus. Government leaders are struggling to balance and curtail the health and economic repercussions which is not an easy task. It’s unpredictable and officials seem to be stumbling in dealing with it.
Going out
There’s nothing better than someone asking you to go out. Usually for a drink or to eat. Restaurants rely on the ability to gather groups of people in a social setting that encourages interaction while serving food and drink. Not only are your table-mates right next to you, but other tables of patrons are there, also. Add some background music to the chatter and voila – the buzz. Live music venues add that next sensory layer.
Reviewers often talk about the atmosphere of a restaurant. The vibe it gives off with all the enticing smells and the room’s ambience. It’s a key component of social gathering and dining out.
You can take the thrill to another level with a sports bar. People gravitate to where the action is. Sports fans can be the most fervent and loud under the right circumstances. Being part of a group of self-minded patrons watching sports on big TVs is rousing, even if you don’t know what teams are playing or if you really don’t care. High fives all around.
Not anymore with social distancing, though. A real buzz killer.
What do we do now?
In the past restaurants relied on a gaggle of patrons in its premises. Take-out had always been a possibility but not a priority. That’s not how service was designed, especially in a bar. Take-out was a bit of a bonus.
Flash forward.
It may now be what keeps restaurants afloat during these trying times. With the advent of so many delivery services, that speed bump has been eliminated.
Adapt or…
Restaurants have to adapt to take advantage of the new economic, marketing, and logistical ways of conducting business. To safeguard investments, adjustments are needed to adapt to these uncontrollable changes. Hence, maintaining a decent revenue stream may require other options, such as take-out and delivery.
The restaurant business has become even more precarious, if that’s possible. The fact that a pandemic can reoccur cannot be ignored. Thus, relying on the social aspect of a dine-in restaurant to be profitable adds another potential obstacle to success because the rules are changing on the go.