Digitalisation of the gastronomy: now more important than ever!
The restaurant industry has been hit hard by the prolonged lockdown. Restaurants are closed until mid-February 21 – whether this will change remains to be seen. As we all know, hope dies last. We also like to eat out and don’t want to see any restaurants die! But it is not as hopeless as it seems at the moment! Even a pandemic can create opportunities for the restaurant industry! Many restaurant operators have become creative in order to maintain contact with guests, e.g. via social media or the provision of cooking boxes so that guests can also cook their favourite dishes themselves at home. Others have switched completely to self pickup of food or their own delivery service. But digital solutions also play a big role here. Many restaurateurs shy away from implementing them – for fear of too great a financial burden. However, this fear is completely unfounded. We show you how the digitalisation of gastronomy is possible and which online solutions support you best.
Digital Solutions for Restaurants
With the following digital solutions for the catering industry, you are well equipped to keep your restaurant running now and in the future:
- Pick-up and delivery service
- Digital menu
- Digital check-in
- Customer loyalty with stamp cards and vouchers
Collection and delivery service
Click & Collect
Many restaurant operators who do not have their own delivery service have now switched completely to the pick-up service. Guests order online and simply pick up their order themselves at the desired time.
Convenient home delivery
But the delivery service is also enjoying great popularity! Restaurants that had their own delivery service even before the pandemic are now using it to deliver orders directly to diners’ homes. Just like the pickup service, the order is placed digitally, but instead of collecting the food itself, the restaurant delivers it directly to the customer’s home.
Digital menu
Guests sit relaxed on their couch at home and select their desired dishes via the online menu on the website or in an app and order directly. A digital version of your menu is the best option right now! After all, guests can’t come to your restaurant and order from you at the table.
Digital check-in
Yes, we know, right now the digital check-in is useless because restaurants are closed. Nevertheless: hygienic and, above all, contactless guest data collection will continue to be of great importance in the future when the establishments are open again. And another important point comes into play here: data protection! We all know how many restaurants recorded guest data before the lockdown – with paper lists! Guests thus had access to the personal data of other guests at any time! With digital check-in, this is not the case! Only the restaurant operator can see the data in case of emergency (for a follow-up), but guests cannot!
Customer loyalty via digital stamp cards and vouchers
Customer loyalty is incredibly important even now! If you can’t welcome your own guests to a restaurant, you have to keep in touch in some other way. With customer loyalty programmes such as stamp cards or vouchers, the digitalisation of the restaurant business can continue to succeed! For example, your guests can collect stamps on their orders and, with a full stamp card, get a discount on their next food order or even get the order completely free. You can also offer vouchers now. Your guests buy the vouchers and then redeem them (when it is possible again) at your restaurant. In this way, they are now supporting you.
Digitalisation of the Gastronomy can Be so Simple
As you can see, there are many ways you can keep your business running easily and with little financial effort, even in difficult times, and at the same time advance the digitalisation of the catering industry. These solutions will not only help you now, but also for the time after the pandemic. We would also be happy to advise you if you need help or have an idea yourself on how you would like to implement this for your restaurant.
