Dining Out During A Pandemic

As India’s largest reservation and restaurant tech platform, Dineout has bounced back and has recovered 60% of its usual business, Ankit Mehrotra, CEO & Co-founder, Dineout gives us a scoot of what dining out during a pandemic looks like…

Most diner activity and booking trends have been observed in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad. The projected recovery rate for the ongoing festive quarter for these cities is above the national average at 70%. Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hyderabad are not far behind, with a promising recovery rate of 55%. The major credit for this goes to the restaurateurs who are constantly listening to their customers, evolving, and adapting to the new demands.  

So, what are these restaurants doing to ensure safe dining out experience?

Rebuilding Confidence & Increasing Trust

Customers continue to be wary about coming in close contact with unknown people and places. Most restaurants are taking two essential steps in this direction to ensure customer confidence. First, getting a certified hygiene accreditation that showcases that external experts are making sure it’s a safe dining space. Second, as an extra measure, sanitising the seating area right in front of the customers. This move helps restore faith in your customers that their safety is your top priority. It makes them confident and comfortable.

Most restaurants are taking two essential steps to ensure customer confidence. First, getting a certified hygiene accreditation that showcases that external experts are making sure it’s a safe dining space. Second, sanitising the seating area right in front of the customers.

Reducing Contact 

The definition of dining out has changed in 2020, and most changes will continue to stay even after the pandemic is over. The sooner restaurants adopt these, the faster their recovery rate will be. Some of the tactics involve the adoption of technology that helps with capacity management. Not only does it help you adhere to social distancing, but it also provides you with essential data that can be used later to make calculated and risk-free moves.

Pre-booking of tables for dine-in helps restaurants gather and own customer information. This provides them with much-needed data points, like covers/number of guests, average bill value, meal choice, and drinks. Most restaurants are using such data points to achieve two things.First, to predict guest visit frequency and dining out habits; this can be used to send out personalised communication and build loyalty. Second, forecast footfall, analyse ordering patterns, and ultimately reducing wastage.

Another set of game-changers is the digital menus and digital payment options. Restaurants promoting QR code-based menus and minimising contact between guests and staff are winning the battle. 65% of our restaurant partners are already reaping the benefits of this. Increased interest in these is proof of massive growth in mobile ordering as more and more customers get tech-enabled.

Branching out To Takeaway & Curbside Pick-Up

While there are many customers showing interest in dining out, the remaining form an untapped source of revenue; these sceptical groups are keen on eating restaurant quality food but are restricted in terms of social activities. The key here is to get them to a restaurant’s door. Given an option to pick up their indulgent meals from their favourite restaurants from the safety of their vehicles is a dream come true. Having experienced a surge in demand for takeaway, many of our restaurant partners have expanded their business model and revenue channels.

A game-changer in the new dining world is the digital menu and digital payment options that minimise contact between guests and staff tremendously.

Building a Direct Connection

For the longest time, restaurateurs have been involved in a tug of war with third party aggregators for online orders. Those days of complete dependency on such firms are long gone now. Many of our restaurant partners have recognised the relevance and importance of having a digital presence through a website. This doesn’t just let their customers find accurate information; it also allows them to place direct orders for home delivery and takeaway. 

This has two significant implications. First, restaurants skip the commission route, get direct orders, and increase their profit margins. Second, they also gather customer information and feedback basis with which they launch future marketing campaigns to build a repeat customer base. This helps them foster long term relationships.Such steps in the future direction are a refreshing change and hold the promise of growth. While these are a few major ways the restaurant industry is bouncing back, there are many more innovative ideas cooking in Dineout’s kitchen to bring back the joy of dining out.