Four ways to run a restaurant amidst the pandemic

By N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe

New Delhi, April 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) It comes as no surprise the sudden surge in COVID cases has stopped many lot sectors in their tracks. The restaurant business is one such industry that has taken a huge hit agan. But 2020 having prepared them with such adversity, they feel there still is a glimmer of hope to pull through the tough times.

A restaurant which owns its own delivery model can help avoid aggressive commission rates, get direct orders and continue employment of the staff who can pitch in as delivery agents.

Ankit Mehrotra, CEO & Co-founder, Dineout shares few tips on how restaurants can avoid aggregator commissions and still ace the online ordering game?

Have your own website & 'Order now' widget on social media
Having your own website and social media presence can help restaurants save big and get online orders organically. Powerhouses like Defense Bakery 1962, Sidewok India, La Vie Pizzeria, Byg Breskey & 3000 more are making their business profitable with their own online ordering platform powered by inresto.

"Forming our own relationship with customers has been our priority. That's one of the major reasons why they remember us fondly and keep coming back. And in such times when social distancing is paramount, our ordering platform helps close the gap virtually and lets us deliver our delicacies to our customers doorsteps", says Tushar Dhingra, Director, Defence Bakery 1962.

"Customer experience and safety is our foremost priority at the moment. And keeping that in mind we continue to serve our customers without compromising on the delivery experience which is more in our control through our own online ordering platform. Additionally, we also give a personalised service in the form a menu specially curated by our chefs while keeping our customer dietary requirements in mind," said Arun Prasanna, General Manager Byg Brewski Brewing Company

Delivery Only Menu
The initial concept of a restaurant setup revolved around a dine-in set up with a certain ambience. The food and decor too matched to give the desired results. The same cannot be delivered to someone's doorstep. But a delivery-only menu can be crafted that takes less time to prep and travels well. An easy to browse menu along with enticing visuals can help customers make quick decisions, leaving them with a satisfactory user experience. inresto DineIn - a digital menu solution for restaurants has made this an easy job for many restaurants. The solution offers the liberty for restaurants to modify the menu anytime they want. Apart from this, it helps them keep track of the customer data, which later is used for running customer retention campaigns and loyalty programs.

Run campaigns (SMS & Email)
Email and SMSs are one of the ways to bring the audience onto a restaurants' website and social media handles, time and again. This way, restaurants have the ability to communicate directly with their target audience and stay on top of their minds. These could include information regarding their operational time frame, special offers, and combos that nudge the customer to make a purchase. inresto campaign is one such product which makes this happen in one click.

Market your brand
Most customers are isolating at home, protecting themselves and their families. Staying indoors and listening to grim news can be demoralising, which is why so many are tuning into the latest IPL cricket season for entertainment. And entertainment is incomplete without good food. This is a great opportunity for restaurant businesses to grab those cricket fans' eyeballs through ads and promote their offers. One such platform is cricbuzz, and its partnership with inresto by Dineout lets their restaurant partners stay ahead in the game and get an edge over the competition by promoting their brand on the right platform.

(N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe can be contacted at lothungbeni.h@ians.in)

Source: IANS