18/03/2020
Some of you know me as a friend and others know me in my profession as a chef and business owner.
It is in my involvement in the hospitality industry that I feel the need to share my thoughts and opinions on how to manage your way through these tough times.
Firstly to all the cafe and restaurant owners who see this here is a list of this i believe you can do to help yourselves and your business.
1. Adjust your business model to make it more convenient for your customers, or potential customers to access your offerings. If you do not offer delivery or take away yet, now would be a good time to implement this as an option for your customers. To assist in doing this you should:
-Promote via any medium possible that this is now an option
-Promote a take away menu
-Promote that you now offer a delivery option
-if you have a dramatic downturn in dine in customers, delivery is a good option to still get your products to them, it is also a good way to keep staff employed as they can do the deliveries
2. Promote current health guidelines within your establishment increased hygiene procedures, more spacing between customers, only set tables when customers are seated, monitor staff for flu like symptoms ask them to stay home if they feel unwell, provide sufficient hand sanitizer for customers and staff, etc
3. Encourage customers to make bookings so that you can best manage the amount of customers in your venue at the same time
To those of us who are customers
1. Please be patient with the venue, they may under staffed, having to take extra time in following new and more rigorous hygienic procedures, or some staff may be out doing deliveries
2. If the venue takes bookings, then make one, it helps the staff plan ahead for the day/night to service you better
3. Follow hygiene protocols with regards to sneezing and coughing, washing your hands and using sanitizer with possible and available
4. Support your local businesses, if you used to dine out before and are not so keen on doing so now, ask do they have a delivery or take away option, if yes, then use those options. Don't neglect these businesses as they keep our economy turning.
5. Be mindful of others, we are all in this together and as one we can overcome any difficulties, a team is made up of many individuals.
6. We live in a very lucky country and with recent disasters (Drought, Fires and Floods), there was plenty of food and provisions for all, this virus doesn't change that, there is plenty of food and provisions for all, and we can still all go out to the shops on a regular basis to get what we need as normal. YOU DO NOT NEED TO STOCKPILE FOR AN ETERNITY!
I'm sure there are many other things that can be done and I haven't Listed them, I will try to do so as I remember them.
Thank you, stay calm and be safe
