Category: Advice

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

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.

As restaurants consider next steps in and tactics for handling the current health crisis, gift cards should be at the top of the list. Gift cards are convenient, encourage loyalty to your restaurant and customers frequently spend more than the value of any card. But aside from these three benefits, gift cards could also help your restaurant through the COVID-19 pandemic in the following ways:

A BOOMERANG FOR FUTURE VISITS

While it’s always good practice to offer gift cards, this public health crisis has laid plain the restaurant industry’s dire need to diversifying revenue streams. Whether gift cards are part of your rewards program or not, they are, ultimately, loyalty drivers—as every gift card purchase guarantees a return visit at some point. And as it turns out, research shows that every card sold can pay back more than face value. According to Fiserv, 80% of customers using gift cards spend surprisingly more than the value of their card—$59 more on average.

NO CONTACT REQUIRED

As contactless payment, pickup and delivery are becoming the norm, so should the ability to purchase gift cards digitally. eGift cards both act as entryways into loyalty programs to manage balances and allow every customer to reduce human interaction as much as possible. And while not all online ordering systems support paying by gift card or are tied to loyalty programs, the investment in making that integration happen now could pay back big in the longterm. 

PROVEN PROMOS 

While no promo is a magic bullet, changing up the frequency and creating limited-time windows can help drive interest. For example, Outback, Bonefish Grille, Cheesecake Factory, Carrabba’s and other chains are currently offering $10-$20 bonus eGift cards for every $50 gift card purchase. Meanwhile, Chili’s offered a one-day-only, buy-one-get-two free gift cards promo to drive urgency. El Fenix Mexican Restaurants, on the other hand, has been offering customers a free enchilada plate for every $25 in gift cards purchased—a strategy that fulfill’s the consumer desire to receive instant gratification.

As you learn which promos have the best success for your brand, look at the average gift card amount that customers buy to get a better idea of their spending habits—including how much they expect to spend when dining with you. Then, consider applying these learnings to your loyalty program customers. Extending exclusive gift card offers that hit all the right marks lets them know you understand their needs and that they’re valued. Plus, they’re more likely to return the favor when every little bit counts.

GIFTING TO THE GREATER GOOD

Gift cards don’t have to be limited to perks for current customers. They can be an opportunity to give back. Some brands like Dunkin’ Donuts are offering anyone the chance to pay it forward by buying eGift cards as a small show of thanks to frontline workers. And it’s working. As of April 2020, the company has delivered 40,000 gift cards to medical workers in over 150 hospitals across the U.S.

Customers also want to know how their purchases are impacting those most affected by COVID-19. That’s why many restaurants are also dedicating their gift card sales to help furloughed workers. Chains like P.F. Chang’s are giving 15% of gift card sales back to their team members, while Melt Shop is giving 100% of the revenue back to their team members. 

As customers are searching for more ways to help support the industry, use your social, email and digital channels to convey just how important every last gift card and dollar spent is. Being transparent about where their money goes provides customers with insight they’ll appreciate; when they know they have a role to play in supporting the people, causes or food they love, they’re more likely to feel connected to your brand and become frequent guests to your restaurant.

GOING BEYOND GIFT CARDS

There’s more than one way to get customers to plan for a future a visit. A bar in Boston launched a raffle selling $10 tickets through Venmo, and randomly chose names every few days to give away prizes like merchandise, gift cards, a coveted weekend reservation and a grand prize of two tickets to a dinner valued at $300. 

Another approach is to think bigger than the micro-investments of gift cards with long-term rewards—as did a brewpub in Minneapolis that offered their future customers beer for life if they invested $1,000 to help get their doors open now.

As restaurants begin to open dining rooms, we will inevitably see some increase in sales. But at the commonly mandated  25% or 50% capacity limitations, many restaurants will still be far from hitting their normal sales goals.

Below, we have outlined several tools and insights to maximize revenue with the new seating limitations and safety in mind.  While revenue is important, your guests’ safety and comfort should never be  sacrificed—and their confidence in your brand and its actions will pay dividends in the long run.

Menu (Re)Design is Key 

• Featuring photos of  guest favorites and high-margin items will encourage boosted sales of those offerings
• Highlighting value-based offers on prime real estate within your printed menu and other in-restaurant signage will appeal to guests who are price-sensitive
• Using your best imagery of add-on items like beverages, appetizers and desserts will encourage guests to crave these offerings and increase overall check
• Printing menus in color vs. black and white will draw more attention and drive craveability—and therefore higher sales
• For better safety and sanitation, switch to disposable, one-time-use menus. Guests will be more likely to return if they see your brand taking this type of precaution

Optimize Your Menu Mix

• Promoting dishes that are faster to produce will reduce time-to-serve and turn tables more quickly
• Adjusting your menu offerings to use the fewest SKUs possible gives your kitchen staff a chance to be creative with ingredients and allows for operational and financial efficiency
• Your menu mix should account for dishes and beverages that travel well to accommodate curbside and/or delivery orders so that guests are satisfied and want to order again in the future
• And while you’re at it, make sure you have “safety seal” stickers on your to-go packaging to drive home just how cautious your team is being with their food

Value, Value, Value 

• Placing extra emphasis on offerings that give guests the best bang for their buck will encourage return visits
• Offering discounts, like free dessert or 10% off full orders,  to off-premise orders for dinner times or busy weekend dayparts can alleviate stress on traffic while continuing to drive sales  (for example, a free dessert promo or a discount for 10% off any full entrée order)
• Offering discounts on alcoholic drinks while guests are waiting for their table will encourage bar traffic and sales

And finally, don’t neglect the power of gift card sales and the intrinsic and financial value they provide, especially during these days when revenue is oxygen. Guests continue to want to support your brand, but in ways that feel safe for them. Ordering gift cards online allows those guests who are not ready to leave their homes for in-restaurant dining to support  you and your team  in a comfortable manner.

The original idea of a “grocerant” was simple: get grocery store customers to spend more time shopping by offering prepared foods and a sit-down dining experience. But in the wake of COVID-19, restaurants have put a new spin on the “grocerant” concept by offering essential goods of their own. Adding in-demand items to their menu—like bread, cheese, raw meat and even toilet paper—puts unused inventory in the hands of customers who need it, creates a new revenue channel and gives restaurants more power to redefine the role they play in times of crisis. 

Here are five tips to help restaurants generate more business as grocerants:

REMIND CUSTOMERS OF YOUR BENEFITS

By offering groceries, restaurants can save customers from making extra trips out to shop. And fewer trips means lower risk of exposure to COVID-19 and decreased risk of those who are asymptomatic exposing others to the virus. Remind customers that they can get much-needed essentials—like milk, bread, eggs, bulk meats, fresh produce or even toilet paper or alcohol for the week—plus their favorite meal in a single delivery or trip.

MAKE PICKUP A BREEZE

In regard to handing off orders, restaurants can offer conveniences—including drive thru and curbside pickup. Restaurants can help make curbside pickup as smooth as possible by setting expectations ahead of time. This could include designated pickup window times, numbered parking spaces, a curbside check-in desk and asking for details about customers’ vehicles to ID customers as they drive up to the storefront.

DETAIL WHAT’S DIFFERENT

As a restaurant, you’ve already established trust in safely preparing and delivering meals, so communicate that the same level of care goes into packing groceries for every order. Additionally, some customers may have concerns about sanitation and safety—especially with items are that are not sealed the same as their menu orders may be, which you have likely already addressed as part of your standard operations. 

OFFER MEALS FOR NOW & LATER

Instead of only selling essentials à la carte, some restaurants are offering “take-and-bake” meals that customers can prepare on their own or as a family, which includes pre-portioned sets of ingredients along with simple recipe cards. Others have even gone a step further by hosting virtual cooking events or creating video content to help customers prepare their meals at home.

LOOK AHEAD & GIVE BACK

Even as restaurants slowly start to reopen, opportunities to add value for customers, like offering groceries, will continue to be important to bring in business. In fact, according to a survey conducted by QSR Magazine, the top three offers currently most attractive to to-go customers are discounts for dining in later, expanded delivery zones and knowing that a portion of their order is supporting people affected by the virus. So continue to look outside of the box to find innovative ways to meet the needs of customers during this time when they need it most.