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Words by Nicholas Doughty
Art by Emma Mitchell
Art by
Emma Mitchell
Let’s face it: COVID has been crushing the restaurant industry. According to the National Restaurant Association, over 100,000 restaurants across America have closed permanently due to the impact of the pandemic. For those of us who are still open, we are doing our best to stay alive. We are constantly thinking about the safety of our staff and customers while simultaneously trying to fend off bankruptcy. This is the situation and it doesn’t seem to be improving.
My state just restricted dining to takeout only through the holidays: our busiest season. Bartenders I rehired in June are now laid off or working cashier positions. I think we are doing the right thing to shut down and take the proper precautions. People are dying of this virus and that cannot be ignored.
The flip side is that we are bleeding money and getting zero financial help from our state or federal government. When the banks went down in 2008 they got bailed out. When airlines were grounded back in March they got bailed out. The hospitality industry employs 27 times more people than the airline industry (aviation: 621,224 vs. hospitality: 16.78 million according to statista.com). It says that they don’t see us as a vital industry. They call us ‘essential workers’ but treat us like disposable wipes when the rubber meets the road. Doesn’t change the fact that we love what we do, but it does affect our capabilities.
I want to sidestep this nightmarish predicament for a moment and look at things from a different perspective. Do you remember back in February, when all our focus was on our customers and how to make their experience better?
Think about this: you finally decide to venture out of hibernation to dine out. You decide on your favorite place – the one where you have your birthdays; the one where they know your name and your order. YOUR SPOT. You can’t wait to have your favorite dish, your favorite cocktail, and to see your favorite employees. This used to be a once or twice a week ritual, but it’s been months and you’re giddy with anticipation.
You enter the restaurant and it looks different – feels different. Half the dining room is cleared out and the tables aren’t set. Everywhere you look signs tell you what to do and what not to do. No one recognizes you and you don’t recognize your server. You ask if Julie is working tonight. Apparently, she isn’t and hasn’t returned to work, don’t know if she ever will. You’re seated in a secluded corner away from other customers. The cutlery is single-use plastic and the menu is a paper print out, which, you notice, has none of your favorite dishes.
No one knew how to prepare your pre-dinner cocktail, so you settled for a gin and tonic. You settle for a dish off the truncated menu that looked okay, but it wasn’t what you craved. As you enjoy your meal, no one swings by to check on you and there’s none of the banter that makes the place charming. The staff is too busy dealing with a long line of third party delivery drivers picking up their orders. The food is delicious but unfamiliar. You enjoy your time out, but it wasn’t the experience you came looking for. It wasn’t the place, the experience you used to know and love, and who knows when or if it will come back.
Personally, I haven’t gone out to eat inside or outside a restaurant since March. It’s not that I don’t feel safe. I trust that many restaurants are taking the necessary precautions, but I haven’t dined in because I find the whole experience too jarring. Not only that, I have a lot of empathy for my fellow restaurateurs. Many of us are in ‘survival mode’ when it comes to the financial side of business. I understand the toll that this is taking as I live it daily. The grind of contending with staff safety and lack of business while also trying to be hospitable is a tough balance. Having customers in the dining room can be an added level of stress for operators. I would rather patronize their businesses via take-out (with a hefty gratuity). My thought is that if I can support them financially without being a burden or a safety concern, then everybody wins.
For patrons who choose to dine in, don’t expect the experience to be the same as before the shutdown, but know that we are doing our best to make the experience as great as it can be. In the case of my restaurants – outside of making stellar food and drink, which will always be the most important part – I think it comes down to focusing on two aspects. On the hospitality side, the first is to create a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere. Balance the sterility of hand sanitizer, Plexi barriers, and take out boxes with organic touches of plants and fresh flowers.
We have open kitchen designs so the customer seeing the staff making their food adds an immediate homemade feeling. The second aspect is the person-to-person experience. Remember that for many of our customers this interaction might be their only one with a live person all day. Embrace this! If they are a regular, recognizing them with their mask on might be a big deal for them. Ask them how they are and let the customer talk; I’m sure they have a lot to say. I encourage our staff to try and make the experience feel as ‘normal’ as possible without compromising safety. Remembering their regular order from ‘before’ is a great touch to make them feel special.
Part of true hospitality is building relationships with our patrons, but there’s no denying COVID has eroded those relationships. Check that: our hospitality has been replaced by our necessity to ensure the safety of our staff and customers.
Personally, I haven’t gone out to eat inside or outside a restaurant since March. It’s not that I don’t feel safe. I trust that many restaurants are taking the necessary precautions, but I haven’t dined in because I find the whole experience too jarring. Not only that, I have a lot of empathy for my fellow restaurateurs. Many of us are in ‘survival mode’ when it comes to the financial side of business. I understand the toll that this is taking as I live it daily. The grind of contending with staff safety and lack of business while also trying to be hospitable is a tough balance. Having customers in the dining room can be an added level of stress for operators. I would rather patronize their businesses via take-out (with a hefty gratuity). My thought is that if I can support them financially without being a burden or a safety concern, then everybody wins.
For patrons who choose to dine in, don’t expect the experience to be the same as before the shutdown, but know that we are doing our best to make the experience as great as it can be.
In the case of my restaurants – outside of making stellar food and drink, which will always be the most important part – I think it comes down to focusing on two aspects. On the hospitality side, the first is to create a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere. Balance the sterility of hand sanitizer, Plexi barriers, and take out boxes with organic touches of plants and fresh flowers.
We have open kitchen designs so the customer seeing the staff making their food adds an immediate homemade feeling. The second aspect is the person-to-person experience.
Remember that for many of our customers this interaction might be their only one with a live person all day. Embrace this! If they are a regular, recognizing them with their mask on might be a big deal for them. Ask them how they are and let the customer talk; I’m sure they have a lot to say. I encourage our staff to try and make the experience feel as ‘normal’ as possible without compromising safety. Remembering their regular order from ‘before’ is a great touch to make them feel special.
Part of true hospitality is building relationships with our patrons, but there’s no denying COVID has eroded those relationships. Check that: our hospitality has been replaced by our necessity to ensure the safety of our staff and customers.
We have open kitchen designs so the customer seeing the staff making their food adds an immediate homemade feeling. The second aspect is the person-to-person experience. Remember that for many of our customers this interaction might be their only one with a live person all day. Embrace this! If they are a regular, recognizing them with their mask on might be a big deal for them. Ask them how they are and let the customer talk; I’m sure they have a lot to say. I encourage our staff to try and make the experience feel as ‘normal’ as possible without compromising safety. Remembering their regular order from ‘before’ is a great touch to make them feel special.
Part of true hospitality is building relationships with our patrons, but there’s no denying COVID has eroded those relationships. Check that: our hospitality has been replaced by our necessity to ensure the safety of our staff and customers.
As operators, we are currently – and rightfully –enveloped in our own dire situation and it may affect how much we think about our customers. At the end of the day, the customer experience is one of the main reasons we do this day in and day out, so we should reconsider what it means to be a great restaurateur, even during a pandemic — take time to think about things from the customer’s point of view. I don’t have clear cut answers. It could be as simple as asking them how they are doing and showing a little more empathy. What I know is that there are steps we can take to dive into the pre-pandemic mentality of hospitality without sacrificing safety. Whatever steps we take, however, some distance or wariness on the part of the customer, staff member or both will remain. That won’t be going away for some time.
