The familiar call of “Heard!” echoes through restaurant kitchens, a testament to their efficient and lively atmosphere. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought an unsettling silence to these bustling spaces.
Faced with unprecedented challenges, the hospitality industry has been compelled to adapt and innovate to maintain their operations and stay true to their purpose. As someone with experience in restaurant management, I understand the difficulties of transforming the very essence of how things are done. The rise of third-party delivery services and curbside pickup had already sparked discussions about modernization, but stay-at-home orders have accelerated this need significantly. To inspire restaurants seeking fresh approaches, I’ve compiled five effective strategies:
- Offering meal and cocktail kits
- Hosting virtual cooking classes
- Sharing recipes, including closely guarded ones
- Adjusting social media advertising strategies
- Incorporating donated meals into menus
Let’s delve deeper into each of these. Update! As the world gradually reopens, explore these motivating post-COVID marketing concepts!
1. Offering meal and cocktail kits
While enjoying a restaurant meal is a treat, replicating the entire experience at home can be a challenge. To bridge this gap, some restaurants have introduced meal and cocktail kits, empowering customers to create restaurant-quality dishes and drinks in their kitchens. What’s remarkable is that these kits don’t aim to fully replicate the dine-in experience but instead offer a compelling alternative.
Consider Sugar & Spice, a local eatery near our Boston office. They’ve curated a menu of “survival kits”—meal kits designed to bring their most popular dishes to your kitchen. By providing both an activity and a meal, restaurants can offer a fun date night option, a family bonding experience, or a welcome change from screen time.
This strategy benefits not only the customer. Restaurant profitability hinges on three key factors: rent, labor, and food costs. While the shutdown drastically reduced labor costs, it left restaurants grappling with perishable food inventory.
By shifting the labor to the consumer, restaurants can redirect their workforce towards sanitizing their premises and developing a phased reopening plan for dine-in service. While not everyone may be willing to pay for the privilege of cooking their own meals, in these times, offering such options is worthwhile. People find comfort in dining out, and if restaurants can extend that comfort to their homes (with the added satisfaction of personal accomplishment), it’s a win-win situation.
2. Hosting online cooking classes
A bartender friend recently joked on Facebook about charging $10.00 via Venmo for hour-long cocktail-making lessons. This humorous post sparked an idea: how else can restaurants bring the experience of exploring new cuisines into people’s homes? While platforms like MasterClass and YouTube offer culinary tutorials for all skill levels, replicating the magic of a local favorite dish can be tricky.
Personally, I learn best through guided instruction. However, with social distancing preventing even visits to my grandmother for her famous snickerdoodle recipe, we’ve had to rely on video calls.
Bully Boy, a local distillery, recognized this need and started offering virtual cocktail classes. This initiative not only provides a source of engagement with their brand but also encourages aspiring mixologists to purchase their products. While not an immediate revenue generator, it helps maintain brand connection during these times.
For the first time, renowned chefs worldwide are inviting the public into their homes through live streams on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, sharing recipes and techniques previously kept under wraps, which brings me to my next point.
3. Sharing your recipes—yes, even those secret ones
Recipes are a restaurant’s prized possessions. Some evolve, while others have been passed down for generations. Even large brands have their fiercely guarded recipes that inspire a cult-like following. Since social distancing hasn’t diminished cravings, brands of all sizes have taken the unprecedented step of releasing their recipes to the public. It’s a way to show they care and reassure customers of their continued presence.
As a Disney enthusiast, I eagerly anticipate the countless treats available at their parks. Dole Whip, a personal favorite, is a must-have on every visit. Sadly, I had to cancel a trip this year and thought I’d miss out on my beloved treat. However, Disney’s blog began sharing recipes for Dole Whip, their renowned churros, and other park favorites, providing a much-needed dose of magic for fans like myself.
While it’s not a substitute for a vacation, it serves as a reminder that these experiences await us when things return to normal.
If your restaurant enjoys a similar devoted following in your area, chances are your customers are curious about your secret recipes. While meal kits offer a way to share ingredients without fully revealing recipes, opening up your culinary treasures to the public can be a powerful way to keep them engaged.
4. Switch up your social ads
With millions of Americans working remotely, daily routines have become monotonous. While I try to break free from this cycle, being confined to my apartment makes it challenging. I find myself, like many others missing social interaction, scrolling through social media and encountering some clever ads. Make sure to incorporate high-quality images, and consider adding enticing offers, just like Pink Taco does, reminding me of familiar flavors I didn’t even realize I was craving.
Instead of relying solely on third-party delivery apps like UberEats and GrubHub, use these ads to direct traffic to your website. This reduces reliance on third-party fees, optimizing your revenue. For further inspiration, check out our Facebook advertising strategies tailored for restaurants.
5. Add donated meals to your menu
Despite the financial blow dealt by COVID-19, the restaurant industry has shown remarkable generosity during these challenging times. Healthcare workers worldwide are putting in long hours under demanding and often risky conditions. Sometimes, a simple gesture like a warm meal can be the most meaningful way to express gratitude.
Pagu, a Japanese and Spanish Tapas restaurant, has been preparing large batches of paella and other comforting meals for frontline nurses. They acknowledge the hospitals they’re supporting through Instagram and Facebook stories, incorporating a dedicated segment highlighting their efforts to provide solace to these heroes. Witnessing a beloved brand (one I deeply miss) supporting healthcare workers not only reinforces my trust in them but also solidifies my loyalty as a customer.
Other restaurants empower patrons to contribute by adding a “donate a meal to healthcare workers” option directly to their delivery or pickup menus. Whichever approach you choose, consider joining the movement of serving up donated meals if you can.
Focus on connecting with your customers and your community
The National Restaurant Association estimates that over 1 million restaurants are struggling to stay afloat during these uncertain times. By employing strategies that strengthen the bond between restaurants and diners, brands can adapt and thrive while upholding their core values. Danny Meyer, renowned restaurateur and author of Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business, aptly states, “Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It’s that simple, and it’s that hard.” Even amidst adversity, people still seek the comfort and familiarity they associate with dining out. Although the process might look different for now, restaurants are becoming more attuned to their customers’ needs. The public’s desire for a sense of normalcy underscores the impact that chains, local favorites, and major brands have had on their lives. And their response? A resounding, “Heard!”