Lessons from the Pandemic
Every now and then I run into a fellow restaurant-owner somewhere around town, maybe at the GFS store or perhaps at the bank. After an exchange of pleasantries, there is typically a confession of current business operations (usually awful) followed by an exchange of rumors about other colleagues in the business (who’s closing, who’s retiring, who’s missing) and ending with conjecture about how long this will continue (none of us have any idea). These experiences have led me to offer some unsolicited advice, aimed primarily (but not exclusively) to fellow independent restaurateurs, about lessons learned during this “Year Of The Virus”. It would be great if this stimulated some type of dialogue within the industry, but I have no illusions about the size of my readership (that’s ok…I prefer quality to quantity, and if you are reading this, you are high-quality, grade-A in my book). So here goes….
The best way to ensure the long-term happiness of all the members of your business’ community (customers, staff, vendors, etc.) is to survive. Things are tough out there and they will likely worsen. Winter is coming, which might make the virus more lethal and definitely will make outdoor seating more difficult. And who knows when we will have access to an effective vaccine? Plan for a long duration in the wilderness. This may require tough decisions (raising prices, reduce staffing, limiting menu options, taking [another] pay-cut), but somehow, some way, you have to find a way to live to fight another day.
Have there been some painful, difficult decisions that you have been putting off for years? Now might be the time to bite the bullet and do what needs to be done. As a personal example, I closed our second location about two and a half years after opening. I had been hoping that somehow I could make that operation work, but once I saw the severity of the pandemic, the long-term health of the entire business (again, survival!) had to take precedence.
If you haven’t already done so, embrace the online menu platform. And make it easy-to-use. Don’t overpopulate it with menu items – no one wants to order food from something that looks like the Rosetta Stone. Keep it simple with nice pictures and a fairly small number of options. And test it out with friends and loved ones.
Keep on keepin’ on. The pandemic seems to have left some businesses paralyzed. They haven’t re-opened, their website doesn’t give a clear indication of what services they offer, the signage around the storefront is confusing. I get it. When the pandemic first hit, Satchel’s closed for two weeks. I was scared and wasn’t sure what the right thing to do was. But I ultimately decided that sitting on the sidelines (sorry for the sport metaphor) is not a good long-term strategy. Find a way to make it work: offer curbside service, offer delivery, offer online service. Do SOMETHING to keep your operations going and your staff employed.
Be forgiving … of yourself, of your staff, of your family, of everyone. We are all doing the best we can. Remember when Dr. Fauci (one of my heroes) and the CDC were initially unsure of the importance of wearing masks to prevent the spread of the virus? They eventually figured it out. It just took a bit of time. Every day, we are all being called upon to make similar decisions, with unclear information and in unusual circumstances. We will make mistakes and it will be frustrating. But don’t start burning bridges. After all, Dr Fauci has turned out to be a pretty invaluable dude.
One final piece of advice for folks everywhere, both in and outside of the restaurant business: please wear a mask and stay safe.