Ebooks

2 It's difficult these days to find an aspect of daily life that hasn't been impacted by the recent pandemic. While the restaurant industry has always needed to stay responsive to changes in customer preferences and behaviors, current times have accelerated some of the latest shifts. What remains constant is that people need to eat but how they obtain their food and what services can be provided, has changed. Restaurants have been quickly evolving and some of the major industry changes include: Because of the pandemic and resulting industry shifts, restaurant owners have been laser- focused on how they can keep up to maintain the flow of revenue and ensure business longevity. Here's how to combine these new industry trends and expectations into strategies for success. The Restaurant Industry Has Changed A shift to off-premises dining Consumers want to continue enjoying your food, except more often now they do so at home through pickup or delivery. Creative new revenue streams Gift cards provided a revenue lifeline during the lockdowns and closures necessitated by the pandemic. Restaurant owners have continued to develop more alternative income strategies, such as providing grocery/ restaurant hybrid services, operating ghost kitchens, offering online cooking classes or pairings, and even selling essential household items. Creating value beyond food It's now more important than ever to focus on retaining customers for life— and determining how to strengthen relationships to foster repeat business. Increased technology use (by restaurants and their customers) A trend that should come as no surprise is that tech has taken over restaurant operations to streamline processes and keep up with new ordering channels.

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