Torqus is now inresto. Enable Contactless Dining with inresto. Click HERE
Login Try a Free Demo
Try a Free Demo
Login

Month: April 2020

How to Reinvent Things at Your Restaurant After the Lockdown?

Posted on by inrestoblog

COVID-19 has brought the entire world to a standstill. Our eyes long for the lights of the city and our heart awaits the joy of dining out. While there is a lockdown in the country, the restaurant business has been impacted severely. Many of the restaurants are at the risk of permanently shut down in the near future. But let’s not forget that many of us live to eat and not eat to live. Food is our religion. It’s true that people would not stop dining out. There would be girls night, family dinners, date nights and after office beer sessions with colleagues. It will all resume. 

Now let’s balance hope with reality.

When the lockdown is lifted, people would be a lot more careful, and so should you. Once restaurants reopen, you will need to be more proactive and creative in managing your dine-in business. 

Towards that end, some operators are trying to stem the economic slide as much as possible with a little creativity. Admittedly, these ideas can’t stop the financial losses the whole industry is no doubt suffering as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. But they do offer insight—and perhaps, inspiration—into adapting to the new normal.

Prepare to adopt the following things at your restaurant to stay safe and ensure the safety of the diners as well as your staff. And these adopting measures won’t burn a hole in your pocket. 

Read how-

1. Practice Social Distancing Even After the Lockdown

Do not overbook

Take limited reservations and lower the rate of bookings. How much ever satisfying it is to see a crowd at your restaurant’s doorstep, you cannot afford to overcrowd

Rearrange all the tables

Each table should be at least 5 feet apart from each other in order to maintain proper social distance. Eliminate a few tables if you have to. 

Private cubicles for diners

If you can create private seating areas by rearranging the tables, your diners would be relieved and ecstatic Restaurants with private cubicles like Social, or most of the fine dining restaurants, must take advantage of this concept. Families and small groups of friends would seek such spaces for outings.

2. Reevaluate Serving Size of Dishes

There will be some fear associated with sharing food. It will be favourable for a restaurant to reevaluate serving size and come up with multiple options. Serve dishes with small portions that are enough for one person. Or a large portion of the dish must be nicely served, cut in different portions.  

Now that your restaurant is temporarily shut down, you have the time to plan and execute these essential changes with the least cost involved. 

3. Stringent Sanitation and Temp check 

  • Sanitise the kitchen, dining areas and surfaces that the customers and staff come in contact with (basically the entire space). You can schedule professional cleaning sessions once a week. 
  • Make sure your kitchen staff and servers wear gloves. The customers would feel safe dining at your restaurant, with a visible reassurance of safety being your priority. This will help build a trusting relationship with them. 
  • Check the temperature of the staff as well as the diner when they enter the restaurant. 

4. Inform your Diners

No cash Only card signboards at the counter: 

We are practising least physical contact between people so a no cash exchange method of transaction would be ideal. Urge your diners to pay via card or online payment wallets by putting signboards at the counter. 

Personalised messages to your customers:

Send your diners SMS & email campaigns, to make them aware of all the precautions you are taking. They will seek a place that has a balance between social distancing and social gathering. Tell them that your restaurant is their place of refuge. 

Broadcast on social media:

80% of customers search for a restaurant on the internet before visiting it. At the time when the most trending thing on social media would be stepping out after the lockdown during COVID-19, you must post what they are looking for. Let them know that their safety is your priority. 

Let’s work towards coming back together, and open the restaurant’s doors to celebrate, wine & dine and make unforgettable memories again.

Dineout’s Instagram Live with Rachel Goenka: Ensuring Customer Delight Post the Lockdown

Posted on by inrestoblog

As the world reels from the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants are among one of the most affected industries, considering the need for social distancing and scarcity of resources. Sahil Jain, Cofounder of Dineout recently conducted an informative session with Rachel Goenka, Founder and CEO, The Chocolate Spoon Company. During this session, she talked about the current plight of restaurants, various business strategies, and the prospects owing to COVID-19. Here are the highlights of the conversation.

1. Prioritize Safety Above All

Brand loyalty and trust, post lockdown, will come from showcasing better service quality and brand value. People will slowly feel more comfortable about stepping out post lockdown, if restaurants assure them of all the steps taken to ensure diners’ safety and hygiene within the restaurant. Communicate the importance of proper sanitation and hygiene, routine temperature checks, and sanitisers made available for customers as well as staff. 

Further, higher dependency on technology for communication, menu management, and posting awareness-centric content on social media platforms to educate diners’ on safety can prove to be a great method to restore the lost trust and retain brand loyalty. 

Focus on Survival

Restaurants will run on a 50% capacity, while waiting for government directives. Self-policing by restaurants while waiting for direction from the government needs to become more stringent for the sake of both, employees as well as customers. New industry entrants must stay strong, as the market is sure to bounce back. Cut costs wherever possible, and shift from high-end imported ingredients (unavailable) to local materials.

Going local and curating menus out of locally available ingredients and items make sales more profitable and enables better safety measures. The future foregrounds practices such as cloud-kitchens, home delivery, and takeaways. Further, prioritising microwave-safe packaging due to higher safety (cold items sanitized from outside, hot items can be put in the microwave directly) can be one of the best practices to adopt as it can instil better trust from diners in restaurants.  

Introduce Seamless Technology

Technology has proved beneficial for many industries worldwide. There are various touchpoints in a restaurant business where technology can work along with the staff and create a tectonic shift. Diner sentiments across social media platforms points at pre-order and table reservation being crucial. They no longer want to touch foreign objects and are willing to opt for digital menu as well as digital payment methods. DineIn by Dineout, will let diners place orders directly from their phones using a QR code.. Similarly, digital payments like DOPay will remove the need for diners to exchange physical currency. Table management will be crucial to maintain physical distancing. Dineout’s Reserve will simplify and automate this process with least human intervention. For such solutions and more, click here

Redesign your Menu and Offerings

Provision of special menu options to your target audience, based on customer feedback will ensure better walk-ins post lockdown. For instance, the Chocolate Spoon Company had created a special Parsi menu during the Parsi New Year at Nariman Point, which was a raging success.

Such novelty and inventive attitudes of restaurant chains will always attract customers. For instance, Rachel’s brand created an innovative menu based on gravy chocolate to entice audiences that were looking for chic cake options.

Additionally, introduction of cost-effective recipes that use minimal inventory to make delightful products to retain customer’s curiosity can aid in minimization of expenditure. This also creates more space to experiment and launch seasonal menus. Re-engineering the menu to provide more comfort food (made from available raw materials) can aid in better sales, especially for fine dine restaurants. With supply chains disrupted, there is a dearth for imported goods. In addition, customers are also opting for easy-to-prepare options such as burgers instead of heavy meals.

Adopt Changes to Retain Customer-base

Diners must trust and connect with your brand if you wish to retain their loyalty. Their feedback and your responses are integral to such retention and ensuring restaurant sales.

Further, dining out in local restaurants will be a priority, from a diner’s perspective, post COVID-19 lockdown. Customizing your restaurant in accordance with your brand will ensure brand loyalty. 

Aside from this, employees must be empowered and trusted by managers and owners. Restaurant staff should be able to take daily managerial decisions without prior approvals. Creating consumer/employee awareness can also facilitate retention of brand value in these market conditions. Such awareness can be created through different marketing strategies such as informative videos on cooking and packaging processes, videos conveying hygiene measures taken by restaurants, efforts of delivery executives to ensure uncontaminated food delivery (by proper hand sanitization, double bagging each food order, etc.).

A brand must utilize its diner-base for survival as a whole business family. As Rachel assertively mentions, ‘If you have that brand equity and a loyal customer-base, make the most of it right now!’

Dineout’s LIVE Webinar | Steps Taken to Revive the Restaurant Industry

Posted on by inrestoblog

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide lockdown has adversely affected restaurant industry stakeholders: restaurateurs, suppliers, vendors and other relevant employees. On Dineout’s latest Facebook Live, panelists Mr. Ashwin Bhadri [CEO, Equinox labs | National Resource (FSSAI)], Mr. Prashant Khurdiya (Business Head, METRO Cash & Carry), Mr. Sharad Sachdeva [Director of Operations, L Catterton Asia (LVMH Group)], Ms. Pushpa Bector (Executive Director, Shopping Malls, DLF) and Mr. Ashish Dev Kapur (Founder & Director, Moods Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.) participated in an in-depth discussion with Mr. Vivek Kapoor, (Co-founder, Dineout) on the crucial measures that need to be taken to revive restaurant businesses. 

Here are the key takeaways from the session on how to revive the restaurant industry post Covid-19.

Government Measures

The Government needs to urgently assess the economic repercussions on the restaurant industry. Statutory payments such GST, advance tax, duties and VAT at state levels should be deferred. Government can give moratorium on bank loan payments so cash flow can be used to pay off the suppliers and workforce. Restaurant delegations will soon receive COVID 19 online training by FSSAI. Plus, multiple license applications will go online. This will help make the system more seamless

Diner Trust Retention

Utmost hygiene will be the primary differentiating factor for diners determining the reliability of restaurants post lockdown. Ashish, Founder & Director, Moods Hospitality Pvt. Ltd,  notes a seismic shift towards staff and restaurant hygiene. Contactless dining has created a lot of buzz and  (e.g. contactless/digital menus and payments) must be adopted at multiple touch points. All stakeholders must ensure compliance with social distancing norms. Diners must be assured that in-house employees and staff are germ free and the daily produce is safe as they are rethinking their dine-out preferences. 

Staff Guidelines

Staff members should be retrained with updated sanitisation modules and bright up to speed with new norms. Government officials will be conducting regular hygiene training and motivational programs for staff on official platforms. Many restaurants have already proactively done the same. There is no doubt that customer service and hospitality will reach newer heights.  Employees and staff must ensure that diners maintain hygiene regulations. Additionally, efficient restaurant management tie-ups with aggregators to serve last mile diners will be essential.

Digital Outreach

Contactless feedback via digital feedback forms or social media will gain transaction and facilitate retention of customer loyalty. There is an urgent necessity to maximize app-based communication and utilize the boom of takeaways Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter are witnessing high engagement from diners. It is essential to tap into this and listen to the diners closely. Restaurants can use these platforms to directly connect with the diners and understand their sentiments and needs.

In-restaurant Guidelines

The introduction of Aarogya Setu app will help in tracking whether visiting diners are healthy. Seating arrangement and people within a certain square feet area will be limited. Individual and community responsibility, wherein diners should pre-plan and make prior reservations before visits, so that restaurants can control and prevent overcrowding. (1 person for every 70 square meters).Technology will reduce hygiene and safety problems while personalizing customer engagement.

Collaborative Effort By Multiple Stakeholders

Super sanitized service is imperative. Stakeholders like malls and restaurants must work together to comply with social distancing, safety, and hygiene-related instructions. Restaurants should regularly train their employees on hygiene modules.

Novel Business Prospects

New business models like takeaways and delivery will grow. Restaurant menus will become smaller, localized (in terms of locally available ingredients), and cost-efficient. Working with available “glocal” produce is the need of the hour. To garner diners’ attention and delight, the “playbook” must change: make social distancing more romantic and endearing. In the revival phase, having strong long-term business vision is imperative. Restaurants must resurrect with celebrations to rekindle diners’ attention. Salience of big brands will aid sustainability.

Restaurant Industry 2.0

Future mergers and acquisitions are expected, as many portfolio companies are facing closure. Mall/restaurant operation times will be limited. Newer dynamics and opportunities will be assessed. The main goal? Standing by the hospitality industry. Retaining and utilizing social capital, showing empathy, and understanding and leveraging social media is vital.

In conclusion, despite heavy losses, Diners won’t be looking for discounts. Instead, ensuring hygiene and increasing customer interest will be essential in restarting the restaurant industry.

The Future of the F&B industry: Contactless Dining

Posted on by inrestoblog

Dineout was born with the mission to help foodies discover and visit restaurants across the country. As India’s largest dining out and restaurant tech platform we have always believed in a restaurant first approach. Supporting the hospitality business with cutting edge technology has been our forte. Dineout has inevitably been ahead of the times with innovation for the restaurant business. Our restaurant tech products are the epitome of what is now known as Contactless Dining, COVID has just catapulted the adoption. We don’t wait for a crisis, we build before it hits us. 

Contactless Dining removes nonessential human interaction and replaces it with seamless technology. The post COVID world will be a changed one because diners will be skeptical about stepping out and wary about touching unsanitized surfaces. They will also avoid touching things like currency notes, which goes through multiple hand exchanges. To counter that, restaurants will need to build trust and habits that reassures anxious diners. 

There are a multitude of touchpoints with a diner that a restaurant can modify and facilitate with the introduction of technology. These can be simple actions like booking a table, pre-ordering meals, takeaway, digital ordering, digital payment, etc. Priority for diners will shift and restaurants need to plan accordingly. The climb ahead will be steep, but if the industry is armed with technology there will be no mountain it can’t scale. 

The diner is looking to step into a safe restaurant where he can grab a quick sumptuous meal without worrying about touching a physical menu, a card machine, etc. and Dineout has all the products that fit into such a diner journey.

Enable Safe to Eat Out: Contactless Dining

Imagine a world where diners can look up a restaurant online, check its ratings, and pre-order the meal before even leaving their house. They reach the restaurant to find no queue and conveniently get their car parked through contactless valet. By the time they are seated, their meal is ready to be served. If they feel like adding another item or ordering dessert, they can use a digital menu from their smartphones by simply scanning a QR code, to place the order. After the sumptuous meal, they pay via digital wallet and leave with the comfort and safety provided by the restaurant. This will create a lasting impression and assure them safety and hygiene like never before.

  • Discovery – Restaurants can build more confidence and have transparency with their diners by posting videos of hygiene steps and cleanliness steps they have taken. Right from when a restaurant procures raw material is when they can put up videos and photos on Dineout Stories to assure diners how hygiene is the utmost priority.
  • Pre-ordering – To cut the wait times at the restaurants, diners will now opt for Dineout’s pre-ordering widget to ensure that the food is ready by the time they reach.
  • Contactless Valet – To cut the wait time and avoid crowds, diners will have their cars to be brought in just as they complete payments. inresto valet will cut short the time spent at community areas to curb the spread of infections.
  • Contactless Seating– To make reservations online and facilitate digital table allotment. inresto’s Guest & Reserve software will ensure that restaurants aren’t reserving more than what the social distancing norms will dictate. For example: Having a 2m distance between tables.
  •  Contactless Menu – Dineout’s ‘Dine-In’ digital menu solution will use Data Analytics and AI to offer dynamic pricing and customised offers at partner restaurants besides offering diners the options to place an order without handling physical menu cards.
  • Contactless payments – To ease the payment process for both the consumer and the restaurant. Digital payments via Dineout Pay will avoid the exchange of cash and cards, thereby forcing social distancing.
  • Contactless Feedback – inresto feedback system will collect real-time feedback on the dining experience.

An extra layer of protection & assurance: Restaurant Safety Kit

That’s not the end of it. There is just so much to prepare for in the post COVID era, and one mistake can toss all our efforts in the air. So going one step further, Dineout has also prepared a safety kit that all restaurants will need in place. This kit includes items like sanitisers, thermometers, visor, gloves, face masks and headgears. It is a one-stop solution to any restaurant looking to confidently open its doors, welcoming diners post the lockdown.

Once the lockdown is lifted, we will not be going back to ‘business as usual’. The quality of food, service and hygiene will be paramount. Use of Technology to ensure cleanliness, social distancing and as a tool to save costs for the restaurants will be paramount. At Dineout, we have been developing Contactless Dining technology over the last 5 years having anticipated the need for both technology and services to co-exist with a B2C marketplace for restaurants. We have been working with partner restaurants who are already using Contactless Dining technology to their advantage. And the results have been phenomenal. Now it is the turn of the rest of the industry to adopt, adapt and survive. Technology which was once considered ‘ good to have’ has now become a ‘must-have’. 

This shift is necessary for restaurants to adopt the ‘new normal’ to get their diners knocking on their doors. It won’t be possible without the right data insights and tech. So, our tool for survival is going to be technology. It will pave our path to success and victory, and Dineout intends to be the guiding light.

What we need to remind ourselves is that good food and a good time will never be out of vogue. So the question isn’t if we will, it is how we will overcome this storm. And the answer is technology.

Dineout’s Project Thali | Feeding the Needy

Posted on by inrestoblog

This time, Batman returns to help the needy continue their battle against COVID-19.

Majority of economic activities are in a stagnant state now. This has impacted the livelihood and food security of millions of people across our country. The lion’s share of this population is from the unorganised sectors who survive on daily wages which have dried up. In Dineout’s attempt to help such a community survive, we have launched ‘Project Thali’.

Our mission is to work with our diners, restaurants, NGOs and ultimately reduce hunger and make necessary food available to those who are struggling to make ends meet. Dineout has already distributed Rs.50 lakh worth of food in 5200+ area codes across the country in two weeks.

How can you help?

Project Thali

A mission to fight hunger, a vision to make no one go to sleep hungry. You can contribute here with any amount to help feed the needy in every corner of India. 

Ek Vyakti Ek Parivaar

If anything, this lockdown has taught us how our needs are basic and bare minimal. Help those who are struggling to meet ends in these testing times. You can sponsor food for one family for a duration of 15 days at only ₹1400.

Hunger Hotline

By becoming a volunteer you can help us connect with more and more people to join the cause. Let’s help in every capacity because each drop contributes to making the ocean. Dial +91 7412077717

Find out more details about the project and how you can donate here.

Impact of Project Thali

On April 13, 2020, Dineout helped feed 10000 people in Mumbai suburbs. Few restaurant partners for this initiative are Keiba, Madra Diaries and Delhi Zaika located in Mumbai. Dineout believes in using all the resources available. Tapping into our network of about 20,000 restaurants, and 5 million users, we want to make sure that nobody goes to sleep hungry. 

Don’t hold back, make your contribution here – https://www.dineout.co.in/project-thali

Besides ‘Project Thali’ to contribute towards the fight against COVID-19, Dineout has two additional initiatives. First, an online petition to support NRAI on change.org, requesting the Finance Ministry and Government of India to help restaurants with employee unemployment pay cover, and financial relief for the restaurant industry. The petition has so far managed to garner immense support with more than 35,000 people sign-ups.

Second, Restaurant Vouchers; a token of solidarity for our restaurant business community. We are encouraging our diners to buy prepaid vouchers from our restaurant partners; plenty of restaurant partners have already signed up for this program. This enables restaurateurs with an influx of cash, necessary to manage costs at the moment. These prepaid vouchers can be redeemed in the next six months, once normalcy returns.

Dineout’s INSTA LIVE with Sagar Daryani | Ensuring Scale & Quality are Intact Post Lockdown

Posted on by inrestoblog

The extended lockdown had deeply impacted the restaurant industry. Some restaurants with only dining facilities are revamping their business model and trying to adapt to contactless delivery. Restaurants with delivery already in place are trying to ramp up their sales. To shed light on this subject and breakdown strategies for Dineout has launched Instagram Live Hours, hosted by Sahil Jain, Co-founder of Dineout. 

We bring you our in-depth conversation with Mr Sagar Daryani, Co-founder & CEO – WOW momo.

The session started with how restaurants can sustain their scale of food production and what measures they can take to ensure a safe dining experience post lockdown. While the industry still waits for the Government Aid to come through, it needs to work in partnership with various stakeholders to prepare for the post COVID world.

So, how does a restaurant prepare for the future, ensure quality control? 

  1. Hygiene will be King

There will be no better day than today to pay close attention to hygiene practices at restaurants. Any lack of hygiene will be a deal-breaker for a diner. A hand sanitiser will be omnipresent. Constant hygiene surveillance at the restaurants as well as inside the kitchen will set apart establishments. There will be a robust system in place to keep a tab on the cleanliness of restaurants, and the industry will move towards verified certification. 

The government has already launched the Arogya app. A similar move can be expected for various industries. Transparency in the hygiene process on an individual as well as business level will be the new norm. The dining set up will need to adhere to the 6 feet distance rule to operate safely.

  1. Adapt to the evolving business model

It is crucial to recognise opportunities in the midst of what the world has termed as an unprecedented crisis. Right now, the word contactless is creating a lot of buzz. It is essential to understand the nuances that are involved in delivering a contactless experience. A dining only restaurant will witness a rise in the takeaway category. Even though diners have started cooking, they soon will crave for restaurant-quality food. It will be crucial to nurture relationship diners, reassure them and provide safe food. Restaurants with dining outlets might open cloud kitchens for areas with demand for only delivery.

Restaurants with multiple outlets need to reevaluate their operational strategy. Cutting corners of establishments which are not profitable will save capital. Out of sight is out of mind. Restaurants will need to strive to adapt to the evolving business environment and diner needs and prepare accordingly.

  1. Technology will be the saviour

Technology will play a key role in how businesses shape over the next couple of months. Early adopters will have an edge. Restaurants will have to automate various touchpoints and remove unnecessary human interactions. Proper inventory management tools will help reduce waste. It will help track goods in storage and menu items that are popular. Restaurants will need to identify and promote the most popular dishes and increase order value. 

Digital menu, payment wallets will be popular amongst wary diners. In the next 6-8 months most establishments will adapt to this, and it will lead to habit formation amongst people. DineIn by Dineout, will let diners place orders directly from their phones using a QR code. Similarly, digital payments like DOPay will remove the need for diners to exchange physical currency. Table management will be crucial to maintain physical distancing. Dineout’s Reserve will simplify and automate this process with the least human intervention. For such solutions and more, click here – https://inresto.com/contact.html

  1. Partner with stakeholders

The restaurant industry works with various stakeholders. At his point in time, this crisis has hit all stakeholders. Everyone is fighting the same enemy and trying to overcome the situation. To successfully get through this, each of these stakeholders will need to be transparent and work in tandem with one another. Most nonoperational restaurants are paying salaries and won’t be able to pay rent. In such a scenario, a revenue-sharing model will help both the landlord and restaurant survive. Restaurants need to reestablish their relationship with vendors and ensure quality assurance. 

Restaurants will need to build a strong association with aggregators and reach out to their diners. All the stakeholders will need to focus their energy on their area of expertise and work in a synchronised manner. It is important to recognise that each one of us, individually and collectively, is faced with a challenge to adapt and evolve. Restaurants will need to sacrifice on many fronts like covers, expansive menus and recipes. Innovation and technology is the only way forward. Educating diners of the safety measures, introducing hygiene etiquettes will be equally important.

Social media trends show diners getting more involved in their kitchens. But the other half of the picture is that diners will soon be bored with home-cooked food. That will be the window of opportunity for restaurants. To prepare the restaurant industry for the road ahead of us, Dineout has come up with the concept of Contactless Dining in the post COVID Era. To find out more, click here – https://inresto.com/contact.html

Guidelines for Resuming Restaurant Operations in a Post COVID World

Posted on by inrestoblog

An Introduction to Contactless Dining

Get in touch with us here.

Get in touch with us here.

Get in touch with us here.

Get in touch with us here.

Get in touch with us here.

Get in touch with us here.

Dineout’s INSTA LIVE with Srijan Vadhera | Future of Luxury Dining Post the Lockdown 

Posted on by inrestoblog

Due to the lockdown, the F&B industry has come to a standstill. Meanwhile, restaurateurs have been bombarded with statistics and future projections of the restaurant market. To shed light on this subject and breakdown strategies for Dineout has launched Instagram Live Hours, hosted by Sahil Jain, Co-founder of Dineout.

We bring you our in-depth conversation with Mr Srijan Vadhera, General Manager – Conrad Bengaluru. 

The session started with what a luxury dining restaurateur should plan and how well he/she can prepare for the ‘new normal’. Adaptability of technology will be non-negotiable. While the restaurant industry looks forward to financial assistance from the Government, it is equally crucial for them to look within and prepare to adopt robust solutions.

The luxury dining segment pertains to an extraordinary part of diners’ luxury experience. These are places for celebrations and special occasions. While special events will not cease to exist, the need to open a bottle of champagne and enjoy a gourmet meal might receive second thoughts. So, how does a luxury dining restaurant prepare for the future and reassure its diners? 

 

1. Home Delivery & Take Away to the rescue

Luxury dining industry is more to do with the experience than just an expensive purchase. This has been one of the most dynamic and fast-growing components of the luxury sector. Diners opted more for exclusive experiences and the “Instagrammable moments”. While we expect the positive momentum of experiential luxury to persist, it will slow down in the short term as consumers temporarily revert to buying goods over experiences. 

Many luxury dining restaurants like Conrad Bengaluru have begun with a revamped home delivery and take-away business model. One of the most important aspects of luxury dining has been attention to detail and utmost hygiene. Standard delivery protocols need to be set in place and adhered to. 

The process of taking food orders, preparing the items, packaging and finally delivering needs to be seamless. At no point can the quality of food and service suffer because that is the USP of any luxury dining restaurant.

2. Introduce revamped and limited menu

Treat every crisis as an opportunity. Luxury dining was always about the experience at a particular restaurant and ambience. But how can a similar experience be hand-delivered to a diner? Luxury dining never got the opportunity to ponder on it, until now. It is important to be conscious of the fact that the same menu won’t work. A re-engineered menu is the need of the hour. This should include dishes that can be prepared with the limited raw materials available in the market. Wastage should be negligible and remaining parts of any raw materials should be repurposed in another food item. Packaging also plays an important role, as the food items need to be intact and travel friendly.

To be able to deliver efficiently, it is important to select areas and work with local authorities for smooth operations. Encourage pre-ordering, digital payment and limit the number of orders per day to reduce unnecessary wastage. Standalone restaurants should focus on a simple menu; the one, a guest, can understand easily and minimize waste.

3. Hygiene is numero uno

Physical distancing and hygiene need to become our way of life. Luxury dining restaurants and hotels are generally ISO certified. Right now, it is crucial to extend these steps to guest entry and raw materials unloading points as well. Sanitization stations and fixed delivery schedules should be in place for all external agents. Raw material should be cleaned and washed before stocking them. Staff members should be educated about the new safety measures in place. Physical distancing, masks, gloves and sanitization for staff should be made mandatory. It is important to also educate the diners about the same.

4. Technology will be the game-changer

Technology for such an operating model always existed. But previously, many brands didn’t feel the need to adopt these. But now it is vital for their survival. There are many touchpoints in a restaurant business where technology can prove beneficial. Diners should be encouraged to pre-order and reserve their table at such restaurants. They should be encouraged to use digital payment methods. DineIn by Dineout, will let diners place orders directly from their phones using a QR code.. Similarly, digital payments like DOPay will remove the need for diners to exchange physical currency. Table management will be crucial to maintain physical distancing. Dineout’s Reserve will simplify and automate this process with least human intervention. For such solutions and more, click here

5. Educate and retrain staff members

Staff members form the backbone of any business in the servicing industry. Retaining them with the updated model of operations will help run the business smoothly. Use this time to plan and get your staff members up to speed with mandatory hygiene protocols to be followed. There are multiple touchpoints where the staff gets in close contact with diners. It is essential to recognize these and train accordingly. Staff should be trained with physical distancing protocols to be followed at all times, including security check as well as room service. 

 

How a staff adopts safety measures in their own space reflects on what measures they will take while servicing the diners. This needs to be ingrained in the DNA of servicing.

Luxury dining restaurants can look at international markets for guidance and mould their techniques. It is a crucial time to create brand awareness. Some initiatives include limited seating with a maximum number of 2-3 diners on a table. Restaurants with buffet should consider switching to A la carte, as that will be profitable. Table reservation should be mandatory. It will prove beneficial to use local produce and design a new menu. Lower profit margins will need to be set, and operational costs should be optimized.

The restaurant industry has started to recognize the true potential of technology and its adoption. It will help to uphold and continue to deliver the brand promise of a luxury dining restaurant. It is equally important to share this message with the diners, via social media, direct messaging, live video etc,.This will help reassure diners and build trust. Social media can come handy in amplifying this message. Dineout’s prepaid restaurant vouchers have re-instilled confidence in the restaurant industry. Apart from this Dineout has been pioneering in the technology domain for the restaurant industry. To find out more, click here

 

Dineout’s LIVE Webinar | Measures to take Post the Lockdown 

Posted on by inrestoblog

The world is experiencing a one of a kind state of affairs. Countries all around the world have shut shops and are evaluating their timeline and the next steps. Our reactions at the moment need to be analyzed before we take any concrete steps. And to make matters worse, there is no textbook to refer to. But what we have is even better. We have able and expert minds. When these experts join forces, a miracle won’t be far away. And that’s what we aim to do here.

To shed a brighter light on measures that can be adopted post lockdown, Dineout launched a series of Live Webinar hosted by Vivek Kapoor, Co-founder of Dineout. In our very first webinar we were joined by industry stalwarts like  Rahul Singh, Founder & CEO of The Beer Cafe, ex-NRAI President; Vikrant Batra, Co-founder, Cafe Delhi Heights, Nueva & Dhansoo Cafe and Amit Roy, Restaurant Consultant, Founding Partner – Shilton Hospitality & Slug Hospitality/Watson’s. 

We are adapting the new way of conducting business, where webinars have replaced panel discussions. There is an overdose of information on the internet, especially with big numbers flashing on our screens. It makes sense to look at these numbers and introspect our next steps. But we must not forget that we have a moral obligation as an industry to fulfil, the one of bringing back smiles on the diners’ faces. We are in the business of giving our society places to celebrate, rejoice and feel normal again.

We bring you our in-depth conversation with our esteem panel members.

Need for Government Policies and Intervention/ Aid:

Governments’ aid to the F&B industry is crucial at this time, and the lack of any update is disheartening. Apart from an advisory to continue paying wages to staff restaurants have received no other direction from the Government. India’s restaurant business isn’t composed of a lot of big chain restaurants, which have better cash buffer days, keeping them afloat for about 2-3 month. However, the same for a small or mid-sized restaurant is approximately 15- 20 days.

At this juncture, the Government needs to weigh the economic repercussions on our industry. Statutory payments such GST, advance tax, duties and VAT at state levels. Should be deferred. Government can give moratorium on bank loan payments so cash flow can be used to make payments to marginal suppliers and workforce. We need to somehow preserve cash flow to fulfil needs. Cash flow is the need of the hour, and the Government needs to ensure that. A sudden lockdown had led to a Chakka Jam. Instead a reroute could have been planned for businesses to function without burning it down to the ground. In order to operate a restaurant requires twice the number of licenses in comparison to someone who wants to own a firearm.

This alone doesn’t affect the restaurateurs; it impacts the livelihood of their employees and people who are in business with them.

Collaborate with Your Stakeholders:

A business functions due to the collaborative effort of multiple stakeholders. And each of these stakeholders are wary of the unknown. This pandemic has affected each of the stakeholders like landlord, vendors, aggregators, staff etc. Hence, each of these stakeholders must come up with a consolidated plan that benefits all. Survival is at stake, and in the ecosystem of a restaurant business, one cannot do without the other. Rental is a pain point for many restaurants. A restaurateur should communicate with his/her landlord and come up to a mutually beneficial resolution. Only if we survive this storm as a business community can we revive and rebuild. Anyone contemplating investing in new restaurant projects should steer clear of it. The existing restaurateurs are like fishermen, who can’t venture into the sea now, but can at least fix their nets.

NRAI has come up with multiple task forces to align the restaurant community’s needs and furnish it to the Government. In the background, NRAI is also successfully running city chapters where the needy are provided with meals. Taking suggestions from one of the viewers, NRAI is planning to come up with guidelines for restaurants in terms of hygiene and standard processes post-lockdown.

 

Adopting a New Business Model:

This is an unprecedented crisis, but the world is no stranger to crisis. Our ancestors have lived through wars and many diseases and lived to tell the tale. And we will do the same. The challenges we face at the moment are alien to us. However, it is important to treat each of these challenges as opportunities. 2020 is set to be a year of great change. This year is going to be instrumental in accelerating the crumbling of outdated structures and systems that have controlled the restaurant industry order for years. 

Home-delivery, take-away received its shining moment only amongst a select few restaurants. But the time has come when it needs to step out of the-cupboard-under-the-staircase. Fine dines, five stars and bars are contemplating joining the bandwagon. The industry needs these and more innovative models of business to survive and thrive. It is advisable for a new restaurateur to run his/her business like a mom & pop shop and get their hands dirty to stay afloat.

Restaurateurs with multiple chains should evaluate business from each of their outlets and draw a survival plan. Don’t make the mistake of good money chasing the bad money. The industry is experiencing a war like situation, and to win they need allies. Future mergers and acquisitions won’t be surprising and will prove fruitful to keep everyone afloat.

 

Role of Digital:

 

Where human interactions are being viewed under the lens, tech can help. The world will not wait for anyone to catch up. We should revisit our operational strategies and find areas where we can plug-in technology. Once operational, it will be rewarding for the staff as well as the diners. Some trends in China, where the business has resumed, highlight a new contactless dining experience. Physical menu has been replaced by the Digital menu with payment being made online. While our demographics are different, it won’t hurt to draw a trick or two from their playbook. Diners will be wary but keen on dining out, so offer them the safe place to dine.  Table management will be vital as diners will be against the idea of waiting in long queues. Dineout’s Reserve simplifies and automates this process with least human intervention. For such solutions and more, click here – https://inresto.com/contact.html

Educating the diners about the new way of dining and safety measures planned to be adopted at restaurants is equally important at this point. And the easiest way to reach out to them is via social media. It is easy to be caught up in the myriad of fake news and speculation. Sales drop for non-veg food items and corona beer serve as worthy examples to learn from.

Staff and Resource Management:

A restaurant is empty without its staff. A fresh and smiling face greeting at the door, ushering us to a table is a sight to behold. It takes ages for anyone to learn the methods of a restaurant business. It’s not just the business of food, it’s the business of people as well. Retaining employees will prove to be instrumental when the restaurants’ doors open. It is important to extend a helping hand to our employees who are only skilled to do this, and have no other skills to earn their livelihood. Some staff members have found innovative ways to continue catering to the diners. One of Watson’s DJ hosts a DJ night. Other restaurants’ chefs are showcasing recipes and bartenders are uploading easy to fix drinks on Instagram Live. They intend to keep the spirits high.

What we miss out in this myriad of crisis, is the cost involved in fresh hiring and re-training. Post-COVID era will give us very little time to up our game. When it does, we will need our team. 

 

Even though most kitchens have no sound of knives slicing through that fresh produce, the heart of a restaurateur is still beating. A chef is longing to put on his apron. A server cannot wait to see the glint in the diners eye when serving the food. And most importantly, a diner cannot cook forever. In 2020 hope will not be cancelled. 

Some industry bodies are doing extraordinary charity work. NRAI has come up with a commendable campaign, Feed the Needy, which has served more than half a million meals.

 

If you have the attention span that puts most millennials to shame, watch the entire session here

 

We have many more interactive sessions planned for our restaurant business community. Watch out for the next one on our social media channels.