Months into the pandemic, regions that once emerged from a lockdown are back in. Canadian cities like Toronto implemented a lockdown at the end of November, barring restaurants from serving food to customers indoors.
While it’s correct for society to prioritize the community’s collective health, restaurant owners need to do everything possible within the restrictions agreed upon by health experts to keep their restaurant running. Restaurants feed people, create jobs, and are a vital part of a city’s culture.
Let’s check out a few ways restaurateurs rely on modern technology to keep their businesses going during a pandemic.
Employee Scheduling Software
No matter what’s going on in the world, efficiency is a cornerstone of doing business. Employee scheduling software directly reduces labor costs by 1-3% by taking up to 80% less time to create work schedules that better reflect your employees’ needs.
The software gives them more control over their work schedule and professional life, while the restaurant has its staffing needs met sooner and more reliably. Advanced communication tools help teams stay connected and solve problems in real-time.
If a manager is in a bind and needs to find a last-minute replacement for a shift, they can send a group message to the relevant team. They’ll be likely to read the urgent message since they receive notifications, so whoever is free to take the shift can post a message. The problem gets solved before it balloons into a larger problem.
Other advanced features like manager-facing dashboards and modern time-clocks give managers and executives powerful data and granular operational control, which businesses need in a pandemic.
Harness Google
By now, restaurant owners know that customers conduct Google searches before deciding which restaurant to try out. They want to know that the food is good and there’s some buzz in the air before deciding to order take-out or delivery from you.
Deciding to add your restaurant to Google Maps is one of the smartest and quickest ways you can boost its visibility. You want your restaurant to show up on a Google map of your city, but more generally, you need to ensure your restaurant is plugged into the metrics Google crawlers scan for when deciding where to rank your restaurant in a Google search.
If your restaurant appears at the top of the first page of a Google search, you’re sure to enjoy higher sales than if it was on the bottom of page five.
Communicate Via Social Media
Create certainty in uncertain times by taking agency over your communications and speaking directly to your customers. Tell them how your restaurant’s policies are changing and how they can safely support your business.
You might be pivoting to delivery, take-out, or even selling branded clothing. Do whatever you need to do to survive, but use social media as a public communications platform.
No matter what’s going on in the world, people need to eat. Rely on the above technology to keep your restaurant going through the pandemic, and the new year should be a happier one.
