In the wake of Covid-19, restaurants are going to look very different. As restaurants begin to reopen, it is crucial for their owners to take every possible precaution in order to safely reopen and rebound their business. It will take flexibility, creativity, and a lot of effort, but we have some put together a guide to help your restaurant prepare to reopen and recover from the destruction caused by the novel coronavirus.

 

Disposable Menus
First and foremost, restaurants that are reopening their normal dine-in establishment will need to put their reusable menus aside and stock up on single-use disposable (and recyclable) menus. Not only will this method help stop the spread of the disease, it will put your customers at ease. The last thing you want your customers thinking while browsing your menu is “has this been properly sanitized?”
While the thought of purchasing a stockpile of disposable menus sounds financially daunting, it certainly doesn’t have to be.

HalfFoldPricing

Mastering Delivery and Take-Out
Apps such as DoorDash and Uber Eats were already increasing in popularity before the Covid-19 pandemic, and now exponentially more so. Not all customers are going to be comfortable going out to dine-in, and this fear is likely indefinite. To stay competitive, restaurants are adding take-out and delivery options to their services.
Something you must keep in mind with offering these services is the portability of your menu items. Why? Because presentation matters. Negative reviews from customers about a delivery of a sloppy meal will quickly hurt your repeat business. Many restaurants are having to tweak their menu to include only the most portable items. Take-out menus are a great solution to keeping those customers that want to stay home informed about your delivery and take-out options. A trifold disposable menu can be easily slipped into a delivery bag.

Maintain Social Distancing
As much as we all want to go back to normal, social distancing is going to be around for a long time and you must prepare to factor that into the way your restaurant operates. Here are a few actions your restaurant should be taking:

    • Tables should be placed 6 feet apart
    • Reduce your dining capacity so as to avoid overcrowding
    • Put up posters, flyers and other signage to direct customers on how to safely navigate the restaurant
    • Reduce points of contact such as direct cash payment as much as possible

While taking these steps to maintain social distancing, you must also do your best to make your restaurant approachable and welcoming. You don’t want your patrons to be second guessing their decision to dine-in due to seemingly scary precautions. For example, instead of taping off areas until the restaurant looks like a crime scene, rely on friendly signage and a well-informed staff to keep your customers informed.