Blog by Pan Ratdhanapun Peewsook, May 31, 2020

During the closedown, many businesses have to bear expenses without having the same circulation. Good news that we are opening-up soon in phrases. Here are some tips for restaurants and cafes to provide a better customer experience using your services.

1.Provide open-air space.

First of all, your customers would worry about their safety. A close area is riskier for any viruses and germs to spread. Considering open all the windows letting better airflow if you have indoor space and focusing on outdoor seats if you have outdoor space.

2.Distancing Seats.

The same reason as practicing social distancing when we go out. Considers moving table apart or open 50% of the seats per table. I don’t recommend having half of the tables having seats stacking on it. It doesn’t look welcoming and it affects the overall atmosphere of your space. Your customer wouldn’t want to sit in that kind of space. You should rearrange and remove half of the table or having sign or something on the seats that shows ‘reserved’ for distancing purpose.

3.Provide a cute way to encourage distancing

Imagine you enter a cafe and have to sit alone at the table with an empty seat surrounding you. You must feel lonely and left that cafe with ‘a not so good’ experience. Your customer might not return again until things start to fully open up. You don’t want that to happen. Consider providing cute friends like teddy bears sitting with your customer would make your space looks more cheerful, less empty, and less lonely. These stuffed animals can also encourage more customer visits. Below are some examples from Thailand and Germany.

4. Open for longer hours

Because of the limited dining space and distancing seats, businesses might not be able to make enough to cover all the expenses. Considering open for longer hours to allows more visits and orders

5. Consider Using face shields.

Mask is a good option for protection; however, might not be as convenient when receiving orders or talking to customers at the cashier. Face shields are another option for protection that also allowing the staff to work comfortably. Moreover, face shields are easier to clean and reusable.

Here is an article about the efficiency of face shields.
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=230978

Here is how to make your own face shield form 2 leather soda bottle.
https://youtu.be/RTbwcZjrPag

6. Accepting online transfer or credit card over cash

Cash passed through many hands and unlike a credit card, it can’t be clean. With credit cards, you can wipe the card and the machine after each use preventing virus to spread. Online transfer if available, is the best way since there is no contact between 2 people.

7. Accepting reservation

Reservation is good for both the owner and the customers. The owner can control the number of people in the space and the customers don’t have to wait especially when the seats are limited.

8. Limited eating time

If your place is really popular you might want to consider limited dining time per group of customers to allows more circulations and to satisfy more customers.

9.Seven-day meals promotion.

Having promotions like a seven-day meal plan is a good way to focus on to-go orders. This kind of promotions allow the owner to plan their stock in longer terms

Preparing for open up after COVID for restaurant and cafe