What action can be taken to deal with the current situation?

The Coronavirus emergency immediately affected restaurants, bars, delicatessens and pizzerias. The obligation to stay at home for everyone, the stringent safety measures imposed on restaurateurs and the difficulties in remaining operational at sustainable costs risk bringing one of the driving sectors of the Italian economy to its knees.  

How to deal with this critical moment without being forced to close? Restaurants and Coronavirus: Delivery

Home delivery, direct or with a Food Delivery App, (obviously only in cases where it is still authorised) can prove to be a strategic tool because it contributes to supporting the economy of the restaurant, also enhancing its function of service to people obliged to forty.  

Here are some tips for best managing the Delivery channel during the Covid-19 emergency: 

• Focus on the organizational process, setting precise and safe production procedures for your employees (as required by the current Prime Ministerial Decrees) which allow them to work safely and with greater peace of mind. 

• Check that the production cycle of takeaway dishes is free of contamination risks from Coronavirus. Guaranteeing your customers that the food they receive at home is completely sanitized is not only a duty, but also an opportunity to show users your seriousness and how much you care about their health in this moment of health emergency. 
• Set short production runs (or at least reduced compared to usual) to limit the risk of contagion in the kitchen and manipulate the raw materials intended for the delivery service as little as possible. 
• Edit the Menu based on the raw materials you can continuously supply, preferring local or zero-mile suppliers. 

• Prefer recipes compatible with reduced processing times. It will be good for everyone: the quality of the dishes will remain high and the risks will decrease. 
• Enhance dishes with a good price/profit margin ratio. This is your main guaranteed short-term economic flow and therefore it is essential to make the most of it. There will be time to expand the range again when you resume theater activity. 

• Stay in touch with your customers opening channels of listening and interaction (also chat bot could be of support), keeping you ready to modify your proposal based on the needs that may emerge during the emergency (or even afterwards). 

Although it may seem complicated (and even a little strange) to bring innovations to your business activity in a time of global pandemic, know that it is a necessary survival strategy. It will also be a useful opportunity to eliminate some ballast and be ready to seize the opportunities that arise when this emergency is over.