Sponsored by: Stonefire® Authentic Flatbread
As the economy begins to open and Americans once again feel safe dining out, there are a number of tactics that operators can use to streamline operations, develop new sources of revenue, and meet consumer expectations moving forward. The key will be to create a sustainable business model while addressing the anxiety of guests head-on, working to cultivate long-term growth and guest loyalty.
Focus on Simplifying Operations
With dine-in becoming a part of our lives once more, restaurants need to take fresh look at their costs, menus, and labor model in order to remain sustainable in our new normal. Streamlining operations, elevating the guest experience, and eliminating items that fail to elevate sales and profits is the new path forward.
Streamline Your Menu
Simplified menus which focus on a core base of adaptable, high-quality ingredients have been gaining traction for the past few years. This approach was essential as we moved to off-premise dining, and now, it has become an important part of driving down complexity, required staff, and costs as we focus on the future. As a rule, each core ingredient must be flexible enough to be used in multiple dishes and preparation methods. This approach allows you to have not only a robust menu, but also a solid arsenal of inputs from which to create winning limited time offers - without having to add multiple SKUs. Stonefire® offers a wide range of versatile flatbread and naan which easily replace traditional bread, carriers, and pizza crust SKUs. Shown in the photo above, Stonefire® Mini Naan provide guests with richer taste and unique texture that bring classic favorites to life - from tacos to sandwiches to simple sides for soup and salad.
Optimize Your Kitchen and Staff Accordingly
As we streamline menus, it is important to consider preparation methods and complexity as well. Balancing more involved menu items with those that are quick to prepare à la minute will help staff to execute consistently. “The entire foodservice industry is taking a fresh look at historical staffing practices,” says Sabrina Tessier, Director of Foodservice Marketing at FGF Brands. “As restaurants try to optimize the number of staff, we expect there will be a move to strategically investing in fewer people who are well-trained to handle multiple roles. Our high-quality, authentic flatbreads provide chefs a blank canvas upon which to create; they can be topped and baked in minutes, helping cooks to move quickly when the kitchen is firing on all cylinders.”
Infrastructure will also play a big role in optimizing staffing, as restaurants invest in new technologies and new efficiencies to help them run a leaner model and provide added flexibility in scheduling.
Strategic Inventory
While inventory management has always been critical in our industry, our attention has now expanded to how foodservice items are packed. In an effort to reduce handling and possible contamination points, foodservice demand is expected to move towards smaller case sizes and wrapped formats. These formats are also suitable for meal kit applications and facilitate sales in online markets. “As operators streamline their menus and look for increased inventory turns, Stonefire® is doing our part by providing small cases, wrapped foodservice packs and retail packs,” says Ms. Tessier. “Our goal is to provide a full solution to our customers as well as any tips and insights that we see in the industry.”
Having packaged items in inventory also provides a new opportunity to offer menu add-ons to the guest experience. Offering a small pack of Stonefire® naan bread which customers can warm and serve, for example, is a great value-added option which also works to drive up the total check.
New Streams of Revenue
All over the country, restauranteurs have been pivoting to new forms of business to keep the lights on. Many restaurants are considering continuing these new streams of revenue as they re-open and business stabilizes.
“We went into the closure with the attitude that we needed to streamline our menu and make it more accessible. We are an upscale restaurant and the unrealistic nature of serving a perfectly prepared New England-raised rib for $30 in a to-go container was not lost on us,” says Chef Luca Paris, co-owner and executive chef of Luca’s Mediterranean Café. “What people needed was comfort food, so we retooled our menu to include ten pasta options starting at $10, plus chicken parmesan, eggplant parmesan and the like. That saved us. We have heard from many people that they love the to-go concept and may still use it more than coming in, especially until they feel comfortable going out.”
Aside from carry-out and delivery, some of the top ways to expand revenue beyond dine-in include online grocery markets, meal kits, and proprietary products such as fresh pasta and signature sauces. This type of value-added service helps not only the restaurant but also the local producers and entire supply chain. It also provides restaurants access to new customer eating occasions – weeknight meals at home, Sunday dinner at Grandma’s, teaching kids how to cook - that they previously would not have reached.
Consumer Expectations Moving Forward
While concerns over covid-19 have declined in recent weeks, Americans remain anxious - with slightly more than half of people feeling very concerned and hugely worried about their own personal health (Datassential). As consumer avoidance of eating out declines, there are a number of ways that you can help to ensure guests feel safe and relaxed in your restaurant.
To help reassure dine-in guests, ensure that every part of their visit emphasizes cleanliness. Start by offering hand sanitizer to all guests as they enter. Ensure that tables are spread apart or roped off to promote social-distancing. Wipe down tables, seats, bottles, and anything else on the table between seatings. Have staff spend time wiping down menus after each guest. Where in the past restaurants tried to do these things subtly, it is now important for guests to see this cleaning in process. Being “clean and sanitary” is one of the top considerations when choosing a restaurant (Datassential), so showcasing your practices will be key moving forward.
As excited as Americans are to get back into their favorite sit-down restaurants, take-out and delivery is anticipated to remain a strong channel in the weeks and months to come. Contactless delivery and curb-side pickup are expected by many to be part of our new normal. In addition to offering these solutions, you can help to protect and reassure your guests by using tamper-evident packaging, adding stickers with a safety call-out, and encouraging all delivery agents to use provided hand sanitizer when entering.
Finally, make sure to promote your safety protocols on your website and social media. “Marketing the precautions we were taking was a huge help during the pandemic”, said Chef Luca. “We are also presenting a re-opening video which outlines our protocols for guests and staff and how we handle every situation. Anything we can do to help customers and staff to feel safe.”
All Stonefire® products are made in BRC-certified facilities (AA rating) with the highest levels of safety and sanitation. For more information on Stonefire® naan, including to request a sample, please visit Stonefire.com/foodservice.
