As the curve flattens, talk of re-opening the economy intensifies, we can only imagine what restaurants in a Post-COVID World will look like going forward. COVID-19 has shone a light on some of our practices and the way we interact with each other, as well as with food. While the pandemic has had us all in isolation and cooking and baking up a storm, we are certainly looking forward to attending our favorite local eateries and enjoying exceptional meals with those we love and miss. However, we cannot help but be curious- what could the restaurant industry look like post-pandemic?
Safety over Efficiency:
In an industry that values timely and efficient service, introducing simple health and safety measures in excess to what was previously practiced may become necessary once restaurants begin opening up again.
For example, sanitizing POS systems after every use, employees sanitizing hands in between dealing with each table/customer, and keeping things such as condiments and napkins behind the counter to control the number of people touching them could potentially be new practices we see introduced. The awareness of how much we depend on and interact with each other that this pandemic has brought to our attention will certainly be the guiding principals in some of the new measures restaurants may take in the future to keep their employees and customers safe.
Changes to Restaurant Operations:
While there may initially be some hesitation for patrons to come back to restaurants for a sit-down meal in droves when customers do begin eating out again at their favorite places, you can be assured that they will have some of the things they have learned during this pandemic top of mind. As such, we expect restaurants may consider ways in which they can assuage guests’ fears over health and safety while still providing the experience people love.
Restaurants in a post-COVID world may consider: Increasing the space between tables, bringing sanitized/packaged plates and cutlery to the table once the guests are seated, keeping food covered until it arrives at the table, and possibly using a digital menu to avoid having paper copies passed around from multiple servers and guests. One thing is most certain, table service will most likely look different once restaurants are able to open up once more.
The pandemic has left folks emotionally charged and craving their “normal.” By continuing to practice social distancing and staying home- we are hopeful we will all be eating at our local restaurants in the near future, in whatever capacity that may look like! We love all things food! Be sure to visit our Facebook page to get more of the food, wines, and locations we love https://www.facebook.com/thetravelinglocavores/
