How to transition from an eat-in restaurant to providing a meaningful delivery/takeaway service

The COVID-19 crisis has indeed hit the hospitality industry hard, with sudden restrictions placed on restaurants and eateries due to social distancing measures put in place to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. 

Directly affecting restaurants and cafes which pre-dominantly provide dine-in for customers. Initially, the transition to providing take-away-only service is daunting – how to transform the way your business operates in a dynamic climate?

Partner with reputable delivery providers

Food delivery companies specialise in transporting food and beverage to customers, in a safe and convenient way for both the customer and restaurant through phone apps and location tracking. By partnering with a delivery service, that is the first and last stage done for you. With you only needing to monitor its performance and customer feedback.

This will help to maintain a cash flow for your business, while also still providing customers with great meals that they love. Although it is a sudden push for restaurants who may not have been ready to move to delivery, this is a great opportunity to provide this to customers who may not have tried your restaurant’s food otherwise.

It will be a trend long-after Australia deals with the crisis, as more people are preferring to dine at home instead of going out.

Considerations when starting delivery

Takeaway friendly menus are critical to ensuring success in this area, if you foresee complications and low customer satisfaction because a meal will not travel well, pack it up individually with a piece of paper & instructions on how to construct the meal.

Pair this with a helpful tutorial video/playlist to keep the vibe going and your customers will thank you for making it a meaningful experience.

Cashless systems will be further incorporated into everyday spending, so it is important to consider this when moving to takeaway. Once restrictions are lifted, look into providing a cash-less dine-in option as well, to minimise potential germs being spread.

Food packaging is integral to ensuring great customer experience, when companies take care and great consideration in the packaging, customers notice, and it becomes part of the excitement. Show your quality and professionalism with packaging that will keep food fresh, warm, using hygienic packaging, and branding that customers will even share on their social media.

How does this apply to retail butchers?

The same, use this as an extension of your customer service and operations, an online store attached to your website will help to do the work for you, add delivery windows and loyalty rewards with your regulars and you’ll reach more customers and gain a great reputation.