Times of crisis can be devastating for entire communities. This became especially evident as the coronavirus pandemic swept the world and caused many to question what the future may hold. Nobody necessarily prepares for a crisis that could take away life as you know it. It can be a scary time to adapt and adjust to a new sense of normal. However, as with Covid-19, important institutions and organizations are there to step up and support the community in whatever way they can. One industry that is always up for the challenge and that can provide hope and support is the restaurant industry.
Restaurants play an important role in the communities they serve on a regular basis but can be especially important during a time of crisis. In addition to providing food and deliveries to hungry customers, these eateries work to provide a safe space and a great experience for people to find community. Everybody has to eat, right? You might as well do it in a place with a great menu and even better company. These restaurants have your back in good times and in bad. Let's take a look at a few ways restaurants can play an important role for you during a time of crisis.
Restaurants are offering flexible online ordering.
When Covid-19 started, many restaurants had to close their doors to outside guests. That doesn't mean they stopped serving great menu items to the people who needed them, though. When crisis struck, restaurants chose to get creative and offer new and exciting delivery options. Ordering takeout became the norm, and these institutions rose to the challenge.
Now, there are so many mobile apps and online ordering systems to help you get the food you need delivered right to your door. From GrubHub or Uber Eats to DoorDash and a restaurant's own website, these locations are being more flexible than ever to help you get the food you need during any crisis. And with the help of Cuboh, all these delivery platforms can be combined into one device to make online orders a breeze, no matter where they're coming from.
Help bring food to people in need.
During times of crisis, there may be people out of work or struggling to make ends meet. It can become stressful to know where that next meal is coming from for many families. Restaurants can provide much-needed relief for these individuals. By offering discounts or even donating takeout and other orders for pickup, restaurants can give aid to the people who need it the most. Remember, when a crisis strikes, we're all in it together.
The restaurant industry will be the first to step up and provide food delivery to those individuals that are hit the hardest. Even small gestures like dropping transaction fees or giving out coupons will give back to the community and only cause a small drop in profit for successful restaurants.
Also provide meals as a thank you to the helpers.
Mr. Rogers once said that in times of crisis you have to "look for the helpers." Well, thanks to the empathy and resilience of the human spirit, helpers are usually pretty easy to find after a crisis. Restaurants are in a unique position to offer a practical and welcomed "thank you" to these individuals. By offering promotions or catering for emergency workers or healthcare providers, these institutions are giving ultimate customer support. Showing these individuals support and care is one of the best ways a restaurant can give back during any crisis situation.
Employ a wide-range of individuals.
There are many different types of crises out there. Natural disasters, health scares, and economic collapses will all have different effects on the world at large, including your community. In situations that affect the economy and the job market, restaurants have the opportunity to employ a number of different individuals to help with their small business. The beauty of a restaurant staff is its diversity. You need chefs and cooks working on a great menu, managers keeping up with inventory management, servers to reach your customer base, a sales team to measure analytics of the ordering process, and delivery drivers to help take online orders to customers. This gives restaurants plenty of opportunities to provide jobs for the people who are looking for work.
Lift people's spirits, and offer support.
Restaurants play a huge part in the community they serve. Not only do restaurants provide great food, but they offer experiences and joy to so many people. Whether you're going out with friends on a Friday night, celebrating a big milestone with your family members, or catching up with an old acquaintance, a restaurant is a perfect place to meet up and enjoy each other's company. During times of crisis, restaurants can continue to be those safe spaces to lift people's spirits.
Even if the community can't gather in person, there are unique ways that restaurants can give potential customers a great user experience. Maybe encourage people to order takeout, and then do a virtual trivia night instead of having one at the restaurant. Or create online cooking classes to give valuable insights to the novice chef at home. When the doors finally do reopen, be ready with a safe setup, affordable options, and easy table reservations. Restaurants have a unique position to offer people hope and support during trying times. Food builds community, which is something people are desperate for when things are looking rough.
Create a space for connection with social media.
In a crisis like Covid-19, many people were craving connection and community. Restaurants had to get pretty savvy about establishing community and great customer service through digital means. With email marketing and social media, small restaurants and large corporations could reach new customers and build communities online. This could be through social media challenges, online cooking classes, loyalty programs, or mobile ordering with unique profiles. Restaurants that help people connect in unique and meaningful ways during a crisis are doing good work to encourage the resiliency of the human spirit.
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