Post-Lockdown Business Tips

As retail businesses reopen and diners slowly find their way back into restaurants, readjusting back to daily operations on skeletal operations may be admittedly a little stressful for business owners.. However, truly savvy food entrepreneurs will take these unique circumstances as a challenge, especially in finding ways to adjust to these trying times and still continue to thrive.

Reopening your food business may be a daunting task, but it’s also exciting to get back in the kitchen and reconnect with your customers. Check out these tips to ensure you bounce back smoothly!

Take it slow.Remember: customer demand will definitely not be as it was before lockdown, so there’s no rush to operate back on full scale. If you do plan to operate on a dine-in basis, followlocal regulationson appropriate dine-in customer capacity and safety measures. In the meantime, consider offering a temporary “capsule menu”, or a selection of dishes that can be made with one compact list of ingredients. This can do wonders in sourcing your stock from your food supplier, at least for the time being.

Move beyond dine-in.Although restaurants may now operateon a dine-in basis, don’t expect hordes of diners rushing to your eatery. Rather, expect them to continue to order food online—we’re still in a pandemic, after all. As your customers stay at home, now’s the time to get creative with your take-home and online food delivery setups. For instance, Army Navy revived the drive-in diners of the 1950s with itsDrive n’ Dine concept, where diners can purchase and enjoy their meals without leaving their car. Elsewhere, Max’s recently introduced theirE-Party service, where they cater to virtual Zoom meetings and deliver their comfort-food staples to a maximum of ten addresses.

Practice proper safety protocols.This should go without saying, but now is the time to be extra vigilant and practice safety measures to protect your staff, customers, and food suppliers. Adhere toFDA regulationsand always wash your hands and wear gloves when handling food, disinfect all areas of your food business space, and observe proper social distancing both in the kitchen and with your customers. It’s also crucial to reassure your customers by effectively communicating your safety protocols. Take a page from luxury buffet chain restaurant Vikings, whoposted a Facebook videooutlining the various ways their dine-in process will change in the new normal!

Simplify the process.As you slowly reopen your food business, minimize the stress by streamlining your operations wherever possible. For example, Japanese katsu eateryTetsuohas shortened their dine-in hours to keep up with their skeletal workforce, opting to sell their best-selling chicken platters on an online food delivery basis as well. Alternatively, the Instagram-based food shopBar Doughensures high product quality by opening a limited number of order slots each week.

If you’re working with limited manpower and want to optimize labor cost and minimize inventory, consider getting pre-portioned and pre-seasoned, ready-to-cook products that require minimal prep time.

More importantly, food safety must be ensured at all times. Therefore having a trusted food supplier that can deliver your requirements with a seal of quality completes the deal. San Miguel Foods-Great Food Solutions ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products are produced with the highest quality standards that allow food operators to simply prep and serve without worrying about safety.

These frozen ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat food packs are available at select supermarkets andPetron Treats outlets. Their foodservice products can also be ordered online atthemall.sanmiguel.com.ph. For more information, contact Great Food Solutions through (02) 8632-2000 or visitgreatfoodsolutions.com.