Author: admin

How COVID-19 Has Changed What Restaurant Guests Want

Post author By admin
Post date September 24, 2020

With the moving-target nature of a pandemic, we’ve all probably adjusted our behaviors or expectations once, twice, or twenty times over the past six months and restaurant guests are no exception. As you’re balancing how to best manage changes on your end, your customer is figuring out what they’re comfortable with and what they are looking for in a restaurant experience. So what is that? A recent Toast industry survey that gathered input from over 700 guests sheds some light on how expectations have changed and what a great restaurant experience looks like, at least for today.

Let’s walk through the restaurant-going experience and break down what guests are currently thinking, from discovery to dining into ordering out.

Word of Mouth is Driving Discovery

When it comes to discovering new restaurants or choosing where to eat, the survey found that 50% of guests rely on recommendations from friends and family. That’s because when safety is one of the primary drivers for consideration, people are trusting their inner circle much more than strangers on the Internet.

For restaurants, this means you can’t hope that a great Instagram account or even a strong Yelp page will be a substitute for walking the walk. Of course, those things shouldn’t be overlooked, but arming your guests with plenty of reasons to rave about their experiences is more important than ever.

Safety Onsite is a Priority

It’s no surprise that safety precautions rank just second to the quality of food when it comes to returning to on-premise dining. According to Toast, 43% of respondents said that attention to cleanliness influences that decision for them. And when they are on-premise, they’re looking for measures to keep them safe. What’s most important? They want to see staff taking safety precautions and wearing PPE, followed by hand sanitizer available at the table and single-use menus.

Quality is Key for Takeout & Delivery

While concerns over cleanliness and safety are still high ranking when ordering takeout or delivery, most restaurant guests site the quality of the food as what they care about most. And a portion of respondents said they would continue to order takeout and delivery more than they did prior to COVID-19 once restaurant activity returns to normal. That’s a positive sign for restaurants, but also means it’s important to make sure takeout and delivery operations can keep operating at a high standard.

Deals? Share ‘Em Via Email

In a fragmented environment, consistent, reassuring communication can be a great way to build relationships with your customers, so you are top of mind when they do decide to dine out. What do they want to hear about when you get in touch? Specials and discounts come in at number one, with 69% of diners wanting deals to drive email messaging. Just behind that is wanting updates on reopening and safety precautions, with updates on new menu items sitting behind that at 51%.

This year may be unpredictable, but acting on data points like these can help give some control back to restaurants. Curious about what else guests are thinking? View the full survey results here.

COVID Marketing Communications Advice News

3 COVID-19 Restaurant Trends That are Here to Stay

Post author By admin
Post date September 10, 2020

With the pandemic forcing restaurants into a new way of operating, many had to implement changes that they might not have foreseen. But, as Datassential notes, “at their core, most problems consumers identified [during COVID-19] weren’t stemming from new needs.” As a result, many of these new choices or ways of working could benefit customers and restaurant operations in the long run. So here are three changes we predict are here to stay:

More Technology and Innovation

To implement contactless interactions and make it easier for customers to place takeout and to-go orders, many restaurants have upped their technology game, installing self-order kiosks and contactless payment systems. Many have also launched electronic menus, online ordering capabilities, more robust mobile sites and user-friendly apps.

While this may have been an unwelcome or unforeseen cost initially, by investing in technology now, restaurants will be better set up for success going forward as customers become increasingly used to the convenience it provides. Of course, there’s no substitute for personal interaction, but if used correctly, technology can amplify great service, especially during this time.

Increased Flexibility & Convenience

Certain measures restaurants have had to put in place because of the pandemic have resulted in customers getting used to some flexibility that they will likely look for going forward. These conveniences that could stick around post-pandemic include direct delivery, easier pick-up procedures, reduced wait times thanks to a simplified menu and technology that gives customers more control over their in-restaurant experience.

Transparency in Hygiene & Sanitation

people wearing protective masks and gloves

Most of us are aware of cleanliness and safety procedures more than ever, and we don’t foresee that mindset going away anytime soon. Even after COVID-19 subsides, customers are likely to carry with them a heightened awareness of these precautions, and they’ll turn to restaurants that they know prioritize their guests’ health. Restaurants that are more transparent about how they prepare food and the steps they’re taking to keep everyone safe will benefit in the long run.

These are just a few of the changes that have the potential to become the new status quo between restaurants and customers. And as restaurants continue to innovate, we expect to see even more new ways of working that will delight customers and benefit restaurants’ bottom lines.

Restaurant Marketing Communications Advice

4 Lessons From The Pizza Delivery Model Your Restaurant Kneads to Know

Post author By admin
Post date August 27, 2020

Even though earnings for many restaurants are falling by double-digit percentages right now, pizza delivery earnings are expected to be flat or even up. Why? Because they’re uniquely positioned to meet off-premise demand. But you don’t have to be in the pizza business to stay competitive during the pandemic. Instead, implement these four best practices from the “secret sauce” of the pizza industry.

BUILD A MINIMUM VALUE MENU

Flour. Sauce. Cheese. A majority of a pizza restaurant’s menu boils down to a few basic ingredients. And when demand for delivery is high, fewer ingredients are an advantage. So start by focusing on a smaller, condensed version of your restaurant’s menu to help offset overhead while giving customers attractive options. This comes down to your “minimum value menu” a.k.a the smallest menu your restaurant can build that creates customer value while showcasing best-performing items.

— Just like pizza, consider prioritizing meals with shared ingredients to reduce waste and preparation time.

— Reduce your minimum value menu to popular, profitable items that travel well.

— Consider keeping comfort foods on your menu to satisfy the customer surge in cravings since the pandemic.

— Revisit your to-go packaging for the best-performing options based on your minimum value menu starting with our packaging guide.

— Continue to optimize your minimum value menu by tracking sales and asking customers for feedback.

MAKE ONLINE ORDERING EASY & ACCESSIBLE

The pizza industry has been pioneering online ordering and delivery for decades, which now includes everything from placing orders through Alexa to an up-to-the-minute status of your order through Domino’s Pizza Tracker. The lesson here? Make ordering from your restaurant as easy and accessible as possible.

— Whether it’s Instagram or your restaurant’s website, provide clear instructions on where to place online orders through all your social and digital platforms.

— Create a clear pathway on your restaurant’s website that puts your menu front and center with simple CTAs such as “Order Online.”

— Whether it’s Olo or Toast, be sure your online ordering system is easy to navigate and mobile friendly.

— If your online ordering solution offers a Google My Business integration, make sure to use it to publicize your menu.

— Add links to online ordering in all your social bios. Make sure it’s in your pinned tweet on Twitter as well as visible on your review sites.

CONSISTENCY = LOYALTY

With limited preparation and large portions, the pizza industry model is built for consistency and value—two appealing propositions for customers in a time of uncertainty. And while not all restaurants can price their menu as competitively as the big pizza chains, they can build loyalty with customers by focusing on relationships and quality experiences.

— Offer everyday values on your menu to build familiarity and repeat business, such as Domino’s longstanding $5.99 mix-and-match deal.

— Just as pizza goes perfectly with salad, offer thoughtful menu additions and suggestions during online checkout to help increase the average check.

— Offer family-sized meals designed for sharing by highlighting the costs at a per-person value.

— Add personalized touches to your off-premise orders, such as handwritten thank yous on the receipt, branded magnets with standing offers or even a loyalty signup form.

— Reach out to customers for feedback on their meal and delivery experience via social or email to be sure they’re happy. According to a McKinsey & Company study, repeat online customers spend more than double compared to new customers.

OFFER DELIVERY YOUR CUSTOMERS WILL TRUST

Third-party delivery services are a catch-22 felt by many restaurants—the pizza industry included. While they can offer exposure and convenience to potential customers, they can also cut into as much as 30% of every order your restaurant receives. The good news? As many as 78% of off-premise customers actually trust ordering direct over third-party delivery according to Restaurant Business Online.

— If you do have to utilize DoorDash or UberEats, increasing the price of menu items featured on the delivery app is a tactic many pizza chains have taken to offset these delivery fees in the past.

— Advertise lower menu prices or offer incentives to customers for ordering direct through your website like free delivery over a certain dollar amount or a free appetizer or dessert.

— Invest in your own dedicated delivery team and fleet in the likes of Dominos to offset off-premise costs.

COVID Marketing Communications

Learning From COVID-19 & Preparing for What’s Next

Post author By admin
Post date August 12, 2020

PREPARING YOUR RESTAURANT FOR THE REST OF THE PANDEMIC

Staggered reopening mandates and varying sanitation guidelines from state to state have made operating a safe restaurant during COVID-19 a moving target. With the duration of the virus still unknown, restaurant operators will continue to face new and varying operational challenges. So here are some strategies to help your restaurant learn, prepare and adapt to the rest of the pandemic.

LEARN FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT

Was your restaurant over or understaffed? Was transitioning to online or to-go ordering a success or failure? Did everyone follow social distancing and mask rules? Your restaurant can learn a lot from the challenges you’ve already experienced. So it’s important to meet with all departments as soon as possible to record these lessons before they’re lost.

Handle a debriefing with 100% of staff from management to back of house.

Identify strengths and weaknesses by honestly answering “What did we do well?” and “What do we need to work on?”
If possible, recruit a third party not associated with the restaurant to lead the meeting and record everyone’s honest feedback in a judgement-free environment.
From the feedback, create actionable steps for procedural, functional and policy changes that can strengthen your restaurant’s future response.

PREPARE FOR POSITIVE CASES OF COVID-19

Does your restaurant have a plan of action if someone on your team tests positive for COVID-19? While there is no best answer, there is a best approach to minimize the spread and impact: act quickly, isolate and clean. Creating a plan around the points below can help mitigate closing the restaurant for an extended period of time. But ultimately, your decision to shut down will depend on your restaurant’s size and the number of employees exposed.

According to the CDC, any employees who work within six feet of an infected worker for 15 consecutive minutes should stay home for two weeks following their last exposure.
Reassess ways to reduce future interaction between employees, and reorganize the food production process so it’s easier to identify any additional workers who may also need to be removed.
After exposed employees have been identified and excluded, perform a deep cleaning of the restaurant with an EPA-registered disinfectant including guest-facing areas, areas where infected employees work, counters, service stations, high touch points and food contact surfaces.
Ensure all employees are using masks and social distancing while in the restaurant to avoid any more positive cases
With isolated employees out of the restaurant and a deep cleaning complete, it is safe to reopen.

CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WORKS

Have you seen more success with curbside and to-go orders even with an open dining room? Or have you welcomed more guests back by creating outdoor seating? Restaurants don’t have to reinvent the wheel for every challenge of the pandemic, they just have to focus on what’s already worked—and be agile enough to adapt when problems arise. To focus on what’s working:

Regularly talk with guests and staff to monitor areas of success.
Offer incentives for customer feedback to get insights into your guests’ preferences.
Shift operations to meet your guests’ demands, such as offering the most popular menu items or becoming a to-go only restaurant.
Think outside of standard orders by partnering or catering to large groups like a local hospital.

Marketing Communications Advice

5 Questions to Consider Before Joining the Facebook Boycott.

Post author By admin
Post date July 29, 2020

Like nearly every other aspect of our lives, our preferences towards social media have changed many times throughout the last several months. At the beginning of the global pandemic, social media engagement surged 61% over normal usage rates. In fact, 74% of users said social media was an important way to stay connected while in isolation. In addition to finding connection on social media, users looked for ways to find food, as mentions of food delivery services rose more than 1,700%.

Last month, social media was leveraged to support and raise awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement. And on June 2, 28 million people posted plain black squares to Instagram as part of #BlackoutTuesday.

As of July, more than 750 advertisers temporarily paused their advertising on Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram resulting in millions of unspent advertising dollars in an effort to get both platforms to better police hateful content. Many brands like Coca-Cola, Ben & Jerry’s and Chobani as well as restaurants like Denny’s and Dunkin have taken part in pausing campaigns.

The question many restaurant marketers have now is whether or not to continue promoting their restaurants on these channels. With a pandemic keeping margins thin, the pros and cons should be carefully considered. However, our answer is always the same: This is not a marketing decision, but a corporate responsibility decision that should be made between leadership, public relations and the marketing team. So here are questions you should answer as a team before making the decision:

Is your restaurant joining the boycott for the right reasons? Make sure the reasons for participating in the boycott go beyond the positive brand recognition that can come with taking a stand against hate vs. the need to find cost-saving measures due to budget cuts.
How reliant is your restaurant on Facebook advertising? For many restaurants, especially smaller, locally-owned restaurants, Facebook is a very efficient channel for driving diner confidence with dining rooms reopening and communicating delivery and take out services. Suspending advertising efforts, even if only temporarily, could result in other unintended negative consequences.
Who is calling for the Facebook boycott? Are your restaurant’s customers asking you to boycott Facebook?
Should your restaurant decide to suspend advertising dollars, what other efforts can help drive less hate on social media? Now is a good time to develop or re-evaluate your social media listening and community management efforts to ensure your restaurant does not unintentionally further hate speech through user mentions and comments.
What other measures is your restaurant taking to create a more positive in-restaurant and online experience? Fighting hate speech on social media is just one step you can take, but find other actions your restaurant can take to highlight your brand values and initiatives to create a more positive, less hateful world.

While the decision to join the Facebook boycott may not have a clear answer, we can all agree on the need to leverage our brand’s voice to create a more positive environment. What your restaurant does to stop hateful speech can take many different forms. But whatever careful steps you take, ensure it’s true to your brand and makes an impact.

COVID Marketing Communications Advice

The Boxed Lunch Is Back – How to Cater During COVID

Post author By admin
Post date July 16, 2020

Boxed lunches. Prepackaged snacks. Bottled soda, coffee and water. As employees return to the office, health and safety will be front and center—and that includes how everyone can eat at work. And restaurants who can pivot from buffet-style catering to individual meal solutions will be the first to get the call. So here are a few key ways your restaurant can better meet the demand for safe corporate catering.

CATER TO THE RIGHT GROUPS

Until it’s safe for everyone to return to work, the demand for many catering orders comes from essential services like construction companies, research labs and the medical industry. Start by catering to these businesses within a 5-10 mile radius of your restaurant. Market directly and online. Getting your restaurant listed on platforms like Relish by ezCater—that allows companies to make group catering orders easily—is a great place to start.

FOCUS ON WHAT TRAVELS WELL

Forget the chafing dishes and Sternos and focus on salads, sandwiches, well ventilated fried foods and meals that travel well as a boxed lunch. If you haven’t already, now may be a great time to reevaluate your delivery packaging to keep your catering orders as fresh as possible. A big part of this is travel time. So be sure there are enough drivers to anticipate both catering orders and lunch rush. Because when it comes to delivering big orders, you can’t be too early.

OFFER SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

While buffet-style catering is on hold, you can still offer customers more control over their orders with customization options. This could include DIY combos that come with an entree, choice of sides and drink. Or offering boxed lunches with better-for-you choices based on diet preferences such as a low-carb lunch box or vegan options. But your restaurant doesn’t have to stop at lunch. Catered breakfasts are also an underserved market, especially for construction and busy first-shift healthcare workers who may only have a handful of choices.

GET CREATIVE WITH CATERING OCCASIONS

You don’t have to wait for corporate catering holidays like Employee Appreciation Day or Holiday Parties to market your catering services. You can also market after high-profile events like the Monday after Super Bowl or July 4 weekend with hangover breakfast bundles. Or, offer feel-good incentives on everyday occasions like matching meals for frontline workers with every catering order your restaurant receives.

DELIVER ON SAFETY

As employees are not eager to leave the office for lunch, bringing in food safely is critical. Start by reminding your customers of what safety measures are already in place for To-Go orders and what is different for catering. In addition to tamper-proof bags and ensuring your delivery driver is following safety guidelines, your restaurant could also:

– Ask for names of each order to package and mark each meal to minimize handling

– Offer a mask, gloves and cleaning wipes with catering orders for the office manager who will be handling everything after drop off

– Over-communicate with the office manager to set expectations for when and how the order will be delivered

COVID Restaurant Branding Advice

Is Your Restaurant’s Google Presence Optimized For Covid-19 Recovery?

Post author By admin
Post date June 25, 2020

As time ticks on, doors to restaurants are opening for indoor and outdoor dining state by state. We know that as a restaurant owner or manager, you have been spending countless hours cleaning, sanitizing and preparing to open. But have you been reaching diners who are hungrily searching the internet for what to eat? Consider this nine-point checklist to ensure your restaurant has the best seat in the house online:

UPDATE GOOGLE MY BUSINESS PAGE INFORMATION

Assuming that you already have an approved Google My Business page set up, make sure you go through and update the appropriate sections. In addition to updating your store hours, service areas, contact information and descriptions, you’ll want to also utilize the appropriate attribute tags such as accessibility, amenities, crowd, dining options, highlights, offerings, payment options and event planning. This past month, Google went ahead and added attributes for service options for restaurants which include: Dine-in, Takeout, Delivery, or Curbside pickup. If you need any assistance setting up or optimizing your business page, our SEO specialists at Push are happy to assist.

ADD PHOTOS THROUGH GOOGLE MY BUSINESS

When it comes to dining, everyone eats with their eyes first. So make your business as craveable as possible with the Google My Business menu—where you can update photos from your restaurant. Besides your profile picture and cover photo, you can post anything that supports your restaurant such as food, bar, drinks or customers.

HIGHLIGHT YOUR MENU

While this Google My Business feature takes some time to set up, it creates the best user experience in the search engine results. Give your future diners the ability to view your menu from Google’s results by uploading each menu item, picture and description. While this isn’t a new feature, it’s one you should certainly leverage if you haven’t already.

TURN ON GOOGLE MESSAGING

This is a newer feature within Google My Business that can help you increase engagement with users that may have specific questions. After enabling, you can download the Google My Business app and be alerted when users attempt to message your business. The best part is your phone number remains completely anonymous.

BUILD A CONTENT CALENDAR

Google My Business allows you to post directly from your business page in the search engine results. By actively posting updates, Google shows superb communication with searching customers. Just like any platform, the best way to stay organized is a good content calendar, making sure your messages are enticing and remain focused.

IMPLEMENT RESTAURANT SCHEMA MARKUP

One of the most important aspects of competitive search engine optimizations is Schema markup, which includes identifying important information on your website within the code on the page. When added, additional snippets of information about your business will appear in search results, increasing the prominence of your restaurant. While Schema is a fairly repetitive process, it typically takes a professional programmer to implement correctly. Let us know if this is something you have not done already for your restaurant website.

SOLICIT REVIEWS FROM PREVIOUS CUSTOMERS

No one can give a better recommendation than your previous customers. So create a link to your Google review submission page and share it with your guests. While you can’t entice anyone to write a positive review, you can certainly request an honest one. If you’re putting in the effort, great reviews will come easy and will help you stay top-of-mind with your customers.

REACH OUT TO BLOGGERS AND PUBLICATIONS FOR REVIEWS

One of the best ways to increase your restaurant’s presence on search engines are backlinks from relevant articles. The best way to get featured in relevant (but local) articles is to invite local publications and food bloggers for reviews. These reviews are not always easy to come by, but Google will reward you when an often-visited blog or publication writes about your restaurant and links to your website.

SET UP RESERVATION BOOKING

COVID-19, Restaurants, Corona Virus, Reservations

As restaurants open at limited capacities, reservations have become increasingly important for running operations efficiently. So make sure you are set up through an approved Google vendor and can book reservations directly though the search results page. Resy, for example, is a reservation platform tied directly into Google that allows users to book right from the search results.

Google values the most in-depth user experience, so utilizing these tips will help reward your restaurant with more attention. Let us know if you haven’t set up your Google My Business page or need help implementing any of the above tips. As always, we’re here to help you Push Forward.

COVID Restaurant Marketing Communications

Satisfying Comfort Food Cravings

Post author By admin
Post date June 25, 2020

While people continue to navigate their new normal, one constant has emerged in dining: Guests are craving comfort food now more than ever. Diners report having a hunger for comfort foods 25% more than before, and 40% of them are motivated to order because of that craving. Thinking of how you can seize on this trend in your restaurant? Cozy up to the following tips.

Hero Hearty Favorites

If people are seeking out comfort food items at your restaurant, consider giving them special prominence on the menu or featuring them in promotions. Keep in mind that to-go or takeout messaging might be a great place to promote these options as those types of dishes tend to travel well.

If comfort foods continue to be in high demand, you may even go so far as to trim your menu and shift your focus to these popular offerings, especially if other particular menu items haven’t been selling as well.

Focus on Family Style

Comfort food favorites are often those that are easily made or served “family style,” like mac ’n cheese, pasta dishes, pot roast, meat loaf, etc. Are there dishes you can convert to offering family style to give them that added dash of coziness and convenience? Similarly, you could consider bundling these offerings with drinks or dessert to round out the meal.

Add Home-Cooked Favorites

Are there simple dishes you could add to the menu to enhance your comfort offerings? Soups paired with simple sandwiches could be an easy way to up your menu’s comfort food level. Soups are also easy to order large quantities of to save for later and offer that nostalgia and sense of home we’re all craving.

Share on Social

And finally, don’t forget to spread the word. Comfort food photographs almost as good as it tastes. Get up and close and personal with the dishes and post crave-worthy shots on social to really get mouths watering.

COVID Marketing Communications Advice

DINE IN OR DELIVERY? Tips for Balancing Marketing Messages

Post author By admin
Post date June 11, 2020

Even as many restaurants are now fully reopen, revenues on the whole are down compared to pre-pandemic numbers. Consumers are still cautious about returning to dining in as previously accustomed to, necessitating that curbside, drive-thru and delivery become mainstays in your restaurant’s sales quiver—at least for the time being. So how do you prioritize your marketing messaging to ensure you are driving consumer confidence to dine in while still promoting all the other ways customers can still enjoy your food? Consider the following tips.

Strike a Balance

While it’s great for restaurants to be able to once again welcome guests into their dining rooms, we know some customers are still hesitant to dine out and some may be more comfortable ordering delivery or picking up food curbside for the foreseeable future. Keep those customers in mind as you promote the return to dine-in service, and be careful to not brush off their concerns.

Promote What’s New

Instead of focusing exclusively on dine-in and neglecting delivery or pick-up messaging, spend time instead talking about any special offers or new menu items. That’s a sure way to draw customers in—and from there, you can share information about dining in, delivery or to-go options. Promoting loyalty or rewards programs is another worthwhile approach, as doing so can help drive dine-in visits in the future.

Be Timely

As you’re balancing these messages, make sure what you’re sharing is extremely timely and relevant to help eliminate any confusion over your current state of operations. Stay active on social media to answer questions or respond to reviews. And consider creating a COVID-19 FAQ document or section of your website so guests can have your most up-to-date information.

Be Transparent

To further manage expectations during a time when customers crave trust, be as transparent as possible to let customers know what to expect. Have you implemented new protocols and processes? Is your dining room still getting up-to-speed as it reopens? Share all that with customers. Are you winding down delivery, but still offering curbside service? Be proactive in letting customers know and, if you can, give some insight into why you’ve made the decisions you have.

Ask for Feedback

We know that moods and minds are constantly changing as we navigate this new normal, so check in with customers and ask for feedback on what they want to hear more of, what they may be confused about or what they need more information on. Their answers can help you identify the marketing messages they would be the most receptive to at any given time.

COVID Restaurant Marketing Communications Lifestyle

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR OUTDOOR DINING SPACE

Post author By admin
Post date June 10, 2020

According to Dataessential research, 47% of diners are willing to dine-in at a restaurant with outdoor or patio seating. So if you’re considering maximizing your restaurant’s capacity by expanding outdoors, now may be a good time to think about the logistics of your setup, safety measures and curb appeal.

START WITH THE BASICS

By expanding your restaurant’s square footage to sidewalks, patios, the street or even the parking lot, you can operate at closer to full capacity. But before you start moving outside, check for any state and local mandates to determine how much space your restaurant is allowed to accommodate and how temporary your setting will be. Beyond any local ordinances, here are a few things to consider for your space:

Consider your average party size for your restaurant, such as a table of 4 or 6 people, to best determine the ideal table size for your outdoor area
Space tables 6 feet from other tables measured from the back of each chair, chair-to-chair
While folding chairs and patio tables may be appropriate for temporary setups, more permanent fixtures like picnic tables and heavy seating that are difficult to move will help ensure social distancing is maintained
Set up an outdoor host stand to help direct diners when they arrive
Clearly designate areas for foot traffic and your restaurant to help diners navigate your outdoor area and prevent congregating too closely
Help give outdoor diners peace of mind with outdoor sanitation stations, your COVID-19 policies, inviting safety signage and notices that your staff is regularly cleaning all surfaces, just as they would do indoors

KEEP IT LEGAL

While many state and local governments are temporarily suspending the necessary permits needed for outdoor dining, it’s important to keep a few things in mind before setting up:

Don’t put any temporary furniture over street drains that could impede water flow
Ensure outdoor dining areas are not in any fire lanes or obstructing access to fire hydrants or any other safety amenities
Consider what your pet policy will be for your outdoor dining area
When in doubt, contact your local municipality to ensure you are following the correct processes and have the proper permissions

DRESS TO IMPRESS

Not only does an open air environment lower the risk for spreading COVID-19, but it can also make your restaurant look more enticing to passersby. If you can invest especially in dialing up the decor of your outdoor space:

Use planters to transform an outdoor space by creating natural barriers and even minimizing surrounding noise
Temporary decking, turf or platforms that cover the ground can also help demarcate the space while providing ADA accessibility
Keep your diners comfortable by providing shade with canopy tents, umbrellas, fans or even portable AC
Bring your indoor branding outside by adding color treatments to barriers that separate seating, or by defining areas on the ground with chalk, corn starch paint, epoxy gravel or tempera paint