How Beer industry will overcome post COVID-19 period

Malaka Spice that’s ruling Pune for ages and is serving flavourful south east asian delights has adapted themselves and their business model as per the demand and changes during the pandemic.

It is doing home delivery and grab 'n' go from our Koregaon Park location. “We have also initiated our own delivery fleet and do our own deliveries supported by deliveries by aggregators such as Swiggy, Zomato and Dunzo,” shared Praful Chandawarkar, Owner, Malaka Spice.

 

The group had also opened their restaurant at Vallonne Vineyards, Nashik for the guests staying in the Vineyard and the sale is picking up there.

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The discussion with Phoenix Mall in Viman Nagar location regarding the way forward on their restaurant in the mall is also on.

Venturing into Cloud-kitchen Biz

Cloud-kitchen business came as a saver for restaurant and food fraternity when they were struggling to survive during the coronavirus pandemic. Many restaurant brands globally ventured into the cloud-kitchen, delivery model capturing their loyal and trusted guests who were home-bound due to the lockdown. “We are operating  four cloud kitchen brands Won China, Tvum, Rap N Roll and Top Hat to cater to the ongoing demand and venture into the cloud-kitchen business.

 

 

“All of these brands are operational from our Koregaon Park location. In fact during the lockdown we launched another location for our cloud kitchen in Kharadi, Pune. The sale at Kharadi has been picking up consistently and we are happy we took the decision to open our Kharadi cloud kitchen at the right time,” added Chandawakar.

Going Organic

The Malaka Market is their newest introduction in the Pune market. They sell organic staples (such as Indrayani Rice, Brown Rice) and wellness F&B products (such as Cold Pressed Oils) along with some signature Malaka Spice DIY Curry Boxes, marinated meats, sauces etc. “We also sell organic fruits and vegetables from our very own Cherish Farm as a part of The Malaka Market initiative,” he added further.

 

Their DIY Malaka Curry Boxes have received good feedback. They have also tied up with Two Brothers Organic Farm to sell their organic products such as desi cow ghee, date palm jaggery and other such organic staples. The Malaka Market is also available on Swiggy Grocery section for home delivery and take away from Malaka Spice, Koregaon Park 

Must Read:Rise of Cloud Kitchen Players during COVID-19

Imparting Knowledge and training

Along with training and developing their internal crew, Chiranjeev Gurukul works with restaurant owners and staff of new and upcoming restaurants on service expectations. Chiranjeev Gurukul is a 360 degree consultancy programme for new restaurants, restaurateurs, retail chains, whose expertise can be used to train your staff, get strategic business inputs, menu engineering, kitchen set-ups and an exhaustive scope of work. “The Gurukul in this Covid situation continues to conduct engaging online workshops and masterclasses on Wines, Cocktails and Malaka Spice recipes along with doing online workshops on Indian wisdom,” he concluded.

 

As the focus has once again been shifted to health due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the brands too had to pivot their strategies and adapt to a “new normal”, where the demand is for high-quality health and wellness products. Even the understanding of the wellness products has widened from lack of illness and disease to a more holistic state of being.

Consumers’ expenditure has also gone up when it comes to spending on the mental, physical and emotional health products. They have increasingly become aware of their health and has no qualms in spending for fitness classes and activities, eating organic and natural foods, taking health supplements, and following special diets. Gone are those days when owning expensive goods were the need, now people are showing preference for participating in activities and indulging in experiences that promote their well-being—and sharing those experiences with their friends.

The demand and popularity of the health and wellness trend can be visible across consumer groups, irrespective of their age and gender. Eating healthily, exercising regularly and monitoring one’s health have become a lifestyle choice.

Millennials: The Driving Force Behind the Health & Wellness Trend

While this trend is visible across age groups, millennials are behind the popularity and demand of it. Their priorities and expectations are different from the other age groups because they were born during the time of rapid change in terms of every sector across the globe. According to a survey, 72% of millennials like to spend money on experiences than on material goods, and that preference is forcing retailers to adapt as more millennials ascend into adulthood and increase their spending power. For millennials, wellness is a daily activity and they have no qualms in spending bomb on them. Another research says that, many of them bring fitness into everyday life visibly by wearing athleisure apparel for all kinds of activities other than working out. They also enthusiastically track their fitness training and sleep data through apps.

Grocery and household essentials see most buyers

With people have been losing jobs and getting paycuts, people have been spending judiciously as the coronavirus pandemic has hit the economy adversely. Groceries and household essentials is the only category consumers will spend on. Even many fast-moving consumer goods firms have quickly identified need-gaps to launch new products. Most of them focused on immunity boosting products. A study shows that lifestyle as a category, which included travel and fine-dining, has taken a backseat. Fine-dining, vacations and recreational activities were a priority for just one-third of the respondents, though 46% people in metros believed fine-dining will be a key need category under lifestyle. That’s probably good news for restaurants that are struggling to survive after having been shut for more than two months. Even as they open for dine-in, they are likely to suffer a slump in footfall aggravated both by fear of covid and stringent social distancing norms that’s rendering their businesses unviable.

Way Forward

Brand affinity towards health-related needs, such as fitness, nutrition, health insurance and medical consultation will continue till the coronavirus pandemic subsides. When it comes to communication brands, such as mobile networks, messaging platforms and conferencing, 42% will be continuing with the same companies. The trend of trimming budgets post-covid was the strongest among people in the age group of 35 to 44 years. This means that brands will have to fight harder for their share of wallet, which has also contracted. With low income, consumers are shifting away from purchasing luxury goods in favor of splurging on wellness as a luxury, and traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores are responding by changing their offerings. Regular shopping sprees as a form of retail therapy will no longer be there atleast for a year. Experiential retail offerings are replacing traditional formats, and those retailers that evolve with consumers’ changing demands are the most likely to be successful.

 

India is known for being a producer for many goods and services from many decades. Considering poultry meat, India is at present the ninth-largest producer amongst all the countries in the world. This sector has seen significant growth from the past 5-10 years, and today India has the world’s largest population of livestock and is presently the second-fastest-growing processed meat and poultry market globally with a CAGR of 22% as per new research from global market intelligence agency Mintel. The country produces approximately 5.3 million MT of meat and 75 billion eggs annually. Poultry and meat are vertically integrated industries within the country and have witnessed large growth over the past few years. Technology today is a game changer in the business which was once dominated by unorganized players and local shops. It has brought much more safety and standardization to the industry. In today’s post COVID-19 world technology brings minimal human contact, as well as best in class delivery and storage to get the freshest produce to the end consumer.

Technology Has Changed the Game

We have not just witnessed tremendous growth in procurement and delivery but technology over the years has completely changed the concept of how we produce and how we can find our food over mobile applications, robotics, data and processing systems. Over the last number of years, metropolitan customers have shifted towards ordering all groceries, vegetables as well as meat and poultry products online through dedicated apps for the same. The process of ordering both ready to eat, and ready to cook products has been made easier through technology, as most people want the power of purchase to be at the click of a button.

Technology is enabling end to end processes

Online startups maintain the freshness of meat and poultry through cold storage and alternative processes from raising the livestock and poultry to processing, packaging and storage of all materials. .They work directly with farmers and are standardizing the operations at the farm level too. People have become more aware of what they eat, and where it is coming from, keeping a track on the standards, the process involved through technology will ensure more loyalty and customer satisfaction. With growing technology and expectations, the competition is no less among brands. There is also a lot more control on end to end processes, minimizing human contact, waste and reduced timelines, thus aiding the delivery of faster and better quality goods to the end consumer. For cold storage systems of meat merchandise, standardized mechanisms for storage and transportation are being set in place. Startups are taking aggressive efforts in putting in place an offer chain system that advantages the meat trade and also the end-consumers.

The Clean Advantage

Meat delivery startups also are following innovative packaging standards to confirm that the products’ period of time is improved. Vacuum packs, canning, shrink packaging, foam trays packing, etc. are some packaging techniques that are extensively getting used within the modern meat brands. Brands today are conjointly addressing the priority of providing clean slaughter facilities for clean meat production and marketing. Startups are establishing a customary transport facility with hygienically maintained closed containers that helps in transporting meat for dressing and merchandising for consumption.

A win for the customer

Technology allows businesses across sectors to stay a whole track of all processes and people at every stage of the product’s journey. For the extremely unorganized meat business that is dominated by native butchers and suppliers, technology is enabling new-age businesses to work closely with the farmers to make sure that the meat is raised right. Technology is facilitating a mixture of speed and potency that may change a meat delivery startup to manage a military of delivery boys in conjunction with higher navigation tools for the sphere employees to deliver the most effective quality meat product within the fastest potential time. Meanwhile, customers also are enabled to trace their orders in the time period. Such a strategic digital system is considering helping the standardization of the meat process. With the growth in demand for online/ app-based orders, companies are moving towards becoming more and more tech-savvy. Without a doubt, technology will help enhance all businesses across the world. Who knows the next time you order your meat, you get to pick your chicken virtually that you have been feeding.

This article is Co-Authored by Vineet Gupta and Yash Garg (CXOs @ Republic of Chicken).

 

Hitesh Keswani, owner of Silver Beach Hospitality - Radio Bar, Estella, Silver Beach Cafe, Copa, Sirocco, The Terrace and Jantar Mantar and Nom Nom talks about brand loyalty and price points that were anyway an issue before the lock down and now will be even more so. Excerpts from the interview:

What was your first thought, when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic?

The first thought that came to my mind was about my staff. I instinctively knew we would need to stay closed for a long time. Their well being and survival was my main concern

Do you think people will venture to dine out again as pre-covid period?

The footfall will initially be less. This pandemic has been of an unreal magnitude and there is a lot of fear imbedded in people. Eventually things will bounce back but yes I think it will take some time for that to happen.

What are the major changes in operation that you see going forward?

Hygiene and safety will be off utmost priority for all restaurants and hotels. It will be the make or break factor for businesses. From social distancing being followed to staff presentation and behaviour, everything will be monitored closely by those walking in. Customers need to trust that the brand will always think of them first and the business later. I also see home delivery modules doing very well as people may prefer that to dining out, at least initially. I think this pandemic will have a huge impact on the kind of food people will want to eat. Immunity boosting, cooked in compared to uncooked, fresh and healthy will be there new mantra.

When the industry starts up again, do you think profit making will be a major concern?

I think that goes with the territory. From hiring lost staff to adjusting to guests sentiments, it's a long journey ahead

What are the biggest concerns for restaurants and the hospitality sector in the post lockdown world, and how can the industry adapt?

Hiring staff again, as many have gone back to their villages will be a major challenge. Adjusting to guest sentiments and understanding their wants in order to achieve brand loyalty in terms of menus and more. Understanding revised footfall and adjusting our man power, rents etc and most importantly following all social distancing and hygiene norms and ensuring the same is strictly implemented by our staff

Now that there is no escaping ‘restrictive social distancing’ how are you going to do the seating arrangements?

Depending on the space we will need to adjust the seating to ensure we follow all social distancing measures. Even behind the scenes in the kitchen, the team will have to re-adjust to minimum distance between work stations.

What long term impact will the coronavirus have on the restaurant industry?

It will take a while for people to trust going out again and it will be an individual battle for all brands to built that trust with their customer base. Financially the wait till be heavy so the real test will be how restaurants will sustain during the waiting period

If mentioning the fact that your restaurant capacity will go from 100% to 40% due to the social distancing rule – speak about what one can do to make money through other streams in hospitality. Generating new innovative revenue streams, during/post lockdown?

As mentioned earlier, I think delivery is the next best thing to dining in. It will really grow (even more than it already is).

 

Chef Vikramjit Roy and Anurodh Samal, two veterans of the Indian culinary scene have opened Hello Panda in Gurgaon.

Chef Vikramjit is one of the most celebrated Chefs of the country with 18 years of Experience and a deep appreciation of Asian cuisine; he comes on board this project as the force behind the kitchen. 

Anurodh Samal comes with a rich history of Operations. Having started his career with ITC Hotels and later being in-charge of Butlers, he has handled operations for some of the top Indian restaurants.

Operations at hello Panda has begun with home delivery and will go on to become dine-in restaurants across Delhi-NCR in the coming months.

"Hello Panda is born out of our sheer passion and love for Asian Food. Because of our history of cooking, enjoying and researching Asian food for the last 19 years, we have always pushed boundaries to give our guests gastronomic experiences which are both delicious and unique. We aspire to do the same, this time in the segment of Delivery & Takeaway,” shared the duo who have co-founded the place.

Hello Panda is an Asian gourmet brand called, envisioned as an amalgamation of opulence and glamour with delicious, Pan-Asian comfort food.

The all-new playful, fun brand stands to bring gourmet Pan Asian dishes that are both affordable and unique.

“We would want our Guests to be exposed to the diversity that exists in the South-East Asian Cuisines, be it in Chinese, Japanese or Thai. Having explored all these regions & prefectures and having learnt and understood the essence of the culture & food, it puts us in a great space to connect the two together - Our Guests here and the essence that we have carried from these regions,” they added.

Patrons can look forward to close to a hundred dishes spread across cold plates, dim sum, soups, sushi, hot appetisers, mains and desserts. Some of the signature dishes include familiar dishes like Thai Som Tam Salad along with the traditional Pomelo Salad, to complement the familiar is the highly innovative, Aona Goma Ae, which is an organic spinach salad in a sesame sauce.

In soups, they have the Tom Kha and Tom Yum to satisfy Thai cravings but it’s soups like Mitang Zhu Qingcai, a Rice Broth with Vegetables and Fanqie Jiandan Tang, a soup of fried egg and tomato Soup that change up the game! For dim sum lovers, Chef has added many variations beyond his classics, Chengdu Chicken Wontons with Dried Chilli Sauce and Jizhi Goutie and Chicken Pot-Sticker Dumpling with Chicken Stock. The sushi selection includes Nigiri and Maki and the spread extends to 17 types of sushi, the recommendations have the freshest of produce, choose from Lean Tuna Nigiri, or Maki rolls like, Kimchi & Avocado, Spiced Edamame with Truffles, Toro Scallion and the all-time favourite, Spicy Salmon.

Hot appetizers have the perfect balance of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, from Thai Corn Cakes and Truffled Purple Potato to Sambal Olek Fish, Pan Sautéed Fish with Garlic Crumble and Coconut Crusted Prawns. Mains are hearty portions of real Asian flavours with dishes like Qiang Kongxincai which are stir-fried Pakchoy & Shiitake Mushroom with Garlic to name a few.

Since no meal is complete without dessert, extra attention has been paid to this segment, so every meal ordered from Hello Panda is completely satisfying, choose from Crispy Chocolate Dim Sum, Chocolate Mousse Tart, Fried Cinnamon Apple Pies and more. 

 

The beverage menu will include artisanal cocktail premixes curated by mixologist Ankur Chawla along with cold pressed juices, mocktails and the special "Whatr" responsible water,  which is India’s first natural spring water in infinitely recyclable aluminum cans. 

Pre order dishes (PO) which are the dishes they are most popularly known for like the classic Black Cod Miso, Tamari Glazed Chilean Sea Bass (Tamari being one of the most expensive soy which also Is gluten free, etc are available on 24 hours prior notice. They also offer a set combination of sushi and dimsum for house or kitty parties which will give diversity of flavors and varieties. 

Every ingredient is handpicked by the chef and his team keeping local, sustainable and where possible, organic in mind to bring you a meal that’s not just delicious but a part of conscious living too.

Hello Panda  has collaborated with #BLOO to create carry bags by recycling textile garment wastes and pet bottles. Their in house cooks will also be wearing masks of the same fabric. The ultimate objective of Hello Panda is to provide an experience that’s unforgettable, bringing you back for more!

The menu has the use of pop and bright colours and has been designed by the talented Freddy Birdy. 

 

You can order the delicious food through Hello Panda's official website and through their delivery partners Swiggy, Zomato & Dunzo!

 

What was your first thought, when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic?

Pandemic word is used to describe when an epidemic has become rampant in multiple countries and continents simultaneously. The first reaction was of fear and stress as this kind of global health emergency hasn’t been since more than a century and the impact of it on the hospitality was going to be disastrous. To be in abyss without the clarity on recourse & recovery and with the responsibility towards employees, work force and other partners, it was a stressful period. To recover from the same, it was evident the world will take long time and the change it will bring to all industries especially hospitality was immense and drastic to say the least.

What is the way forward, do you think people will venture to dine out again?

People have fear instilled in minds of getting infected and it will take some more time for them to come to normal socializing norms (though the new norms are now defined for socializing with measures like masks, distancing etc.). Dining out is purely a concept of socializing contrary to current norm of social distancing and thus return of normalcy in the same will be seen once a fool proof medicine or vaccine is discovered.

What are the major changes in operation that you see going forward – tell us about before COVID-19 and then how this has changed for your brands?

The number one concern to be addressed post Covid-19 will be on health and safety, which translates majorly into hygiene and sanitation issues of the restaurants. The key is to provide physical evidence of the client’s concern for health and safety. We shall, like all good brands focus on these paramters by deploying proper team to take on right from sanitisation to checking temperature of guests with a remote thermometer, showering a light sanitizer mist & keeping hand sanitizers handy. All the staff will undergo mandatory screening everyday, following highest standards of hygiene and sanitisation and undergoing medical test regularly. All staff will continue to wear surgical gloves and masks to give confidence to the guests. The number of staff will be reduced and experienced and multi skilled staff will be the norm for some time forward.

When the industry starts up again, do you think profit making will be a major concern?

The major concern for one of the hardest hit industry ecnomically due to COVID-19 will be of survival and in this industry the survival depends on loyal patronage. This will be achieved by making your patrons trust in your health and hygiene systems that are followed and ensuring that it is followed forever. Though profit making is important to survive and meet the increased costs as mentioned above, even a breaking even point for sometime will be happily accepted by our industry. Putting clients first and taking care of employees will help carve a niche and survive for long.

Now that there is no escaping ‘restrictive social distancing’ how are you going to restructure to inculcate this aspect into your business?

Bars, restaurants hotels, and other businesses in the hospitality sector face some of the biggest challenges in reopening their doors to customers in a way that meets COVID-19 social distancing regulations. Simply reducing seating is not a financially viable option for businesses already operating under severe economic strain. One of the areas to be focused for us can be removing delays from ordering which will ensure a significant increase in table turnover, which will be crucial for hospitality businesses operating at reduced capacity. The major restructuring will be to utilise the resources in the most efficient ways and cut down costs. For expample for us a good option will be to allow outdoor seating and service of food and beverages, wherever possible with due permissions.  Technology will also play a crucial role in how well our sector adapts to reopening. We will try and adapt to contactless ordering and billing which will be important.

What restaurateurs want from the Government until their businesses are ‘Back to full strength’?

The appeal has already been made to government to consider in terms of-

·         Support the payment of employee salaries for twelve months.

·         Have a twelve months moratorium on EMIs, advance tax, PF, ESIC, GST, Excise, State levies, bank guarantees, custom duties and security deposits. It may be mentioned that the government has already given a moratorium of three months and further three months extension for existing interest and principal payments to banks.

·         Have support for power and water charges.

·         Interest free loans for working capital.

·         Renegotiate re-financing loans with better payment plans.

·         Allow deferred payment or EMI option in licensing fees (including renewals).

·         Reduce red tapism

How will single brand restaurants survive post lockdown?

It has been tougher for single brand restaurants. They thrived on their loyal patronage of years that was based on relationship with clients due to warmth they showed and interation they had. The have practically been out of business since the out break. They need support from their landlords to begin with. A waiver in rent for the period of lockdown and then revision in rent when the operations resume till the time operations normalises is something we look forward to. After spending lakhs and crores of rupees in interiors and equipments and other things to beautify the place of landlord and make it feel alive, a good gesture from landlord is welcome. Additionally government sops in form of tax benefits, license fees emi’s etc will be helpful to keep them open and be in business.

Since restaurant capacity will go from 100% to 40% due to the social distancing rule. What are some other ways restaurants can adopt to make money through other streams in hospitality?

Few of the ways to explore are to introduce DIY kits of the best selling and popular dishes as it is a fun way for people to explore their culinary skills as well as a good revenue source. Another option is to have app/mobile based pre ordering service for the restaurant to reduce the order taking/waiting time and a quicker churn of tables can be done increasing revenue. Home delivery to start of prepared meals if not already started. Holding virtual parties and trying best to give the feel of vibe and music through live streaming.

 

If there is one lesson that the Indian food and hospitality community at large has learned from the global pandemic that endures wrecking possibly all sectors of the industry, it is the absolute need to be agile and responsive from top to bottom.

 

The importance of human lives and their well-being remains a top priority and the primary concern at the centre of this pandemic and economic crisis. Coronavirus has already taken its toll on the hospitality and F&B sectors along with many other industries.

 

As the world has been struggling to contain the virus, the hospitality industry has been leading the fight against the global pandemic feeding those in need during these trying times. It has rightly been focussing on the safety of its employees who are at the vanguard, as well as the security of exposed and anxious customers, although only through the food delivery platform.

 

The F&B domain has an important role to play in accelerating the process of recovery in this first-of-its-kind economic collateral damage. A return to excellence with a tactical spirit is currently the pre-requisite in reinstating the buoyancy of the industry that has been anticipating a re-appearance to normal and to reinforce the liability of players who have been impacted. The hospitality industry has these entrepreneur skills in profusion and is all set to take up this new challenge through innovations and these lessons learned from the F&B sector can surely benefit the other sectors.

 

Although economic bearing and a major financial crisis for the F&B industry is unavoidable, it is remarkable to see that wherever there are hopes of restarting the outlets, organisations are gearing themselves up for operations post-lockdown. These are trying times for the entire hospitality industry which is looking at assistance from all quarters including the government and its patrons.

 

Throughout this unanticipated situation, the ambit of F&B has kept the aspects of the health and safety of employees and customers on a top priority.  Many organizations have taken measures to tighten the standards of hygiene and surveillance controls to minimize the jeopardy of contagion. In the forthcoming years, this anxiety may leave an ineradicable mark on people's lives and is sure to mark a societal shift towards an amplified modesty, social distancing and sanitation precautions becoming a way of life. In response to this, the entire hospitality realm has learned new and enhanced ways of functioning, perhaps allowing for a refined work-life balance. This shock wave is bound to wobble possibly all service professions and the restaurant sector is acclimatizing to every communication, experience, product, to the new anticipations of a generation distressed by an imperceptible enemy. Despite the acute pressures on hospitality professionals, the industry is ensuring that quality and excellence, along with exceptional service and meaningful communication shall continue in a sustained manner. The industry has been leaving no stones unturned to reinstate normality and to establish the “New Normal”.

 

In fluctuating conditions like these, entrepreneurship is an exceptional asset. The present times have also witnessed the emergence of new menus that are focussing on healthy immunity boosting edibles designed for home delivery by restaurants. This change has been incorporated keeping in mind the altered consumer behavioural patterns currently and even post the lockdown. Technological modifications that were already underway before the crisis are now becoming increasingly vital. Forward-looking companies are looking at new and enhanced ways of doing things – they are investing time and resources in planning not just the short term but are also setting up for the long term, they are devoting time in training their employees to best prepare them for new and unexpected challenges such as this. Contactless dining, QR code digital menus, disposable paper menus and enhanced hygiene and sanitation are set to become the tenets of the F&B industry. Functioning together is both a prodigious responsibility and a great prospect. The hospitality sector understands the fact that the rebuilding reliance cannot be loomed by organizations in isolation, it is a city-wide or even country-wide concern. Hotelsand restaurants are closely working with local and national authorities and associations, thus being all set to play an important role in the recovery process and winning back the consumer trust.

 

In conclusion, restored planning is undoubtedly the most understandable task to recommend following an emergency of this magnitude. There is no such thing as a ‘normal’ day in the zone of hospitality. Anyone employed in this field should be prepared to effectively deal with the unforeseen. Nonetheless, lessons can be learned from the F&B sector providers in India who have risen to the occasion, put in place contingency plans and provisions for unforeseeable scenarios, coupled with evidently predefined roles and accountabilities for staff, so that key decisions can be made rapidly and effectually in the event of any foreseeable crisis even in the forthcoming years. The vision for the near future may be blurred, but the growth and future of the nation depends on everyone including the hospitality industry having a positive outlook over a long-term horizon with positivity being the key even in trying times such as these.

 

The Covid-19 and the associated restrictions imposed at varying degrees by governmental authorities across the world caught most industries and the quasi majority of normal citizens off guard with little or no time to prepare.

From the onset, however, the so-called essential goods were exempted from the restrictions and obviously groceries and bakery items belonged to this category. In India where processed and packaged food still represents a small percentage of the overall consumption, the safe handling of the products represented and still represents a major challenge.

As the foremost supplier of high-end of bakery and confectionary products, L’Opéra, immediately moved to a home-delivery model as early as April 5^th, once the required authorisations were obtained and the necessary safeguards were put in place with the security of the customers and the staff, highest standards of hygiene and the associated food safety measures taking front seat in all considerations and procedures.

To this end four elements had to be taken into account: the products, the people handling them, the production infrastructure and facility, and the necessary protection whilst transferring the products from the production facility into the hands of the customers.

“The fact that bakery and confectionary products undergo high temperatures during the production process addresses the first challenge. Strict and repeated health checks of the production staff, isolating them and requiring the wearing of appropriate clothing, face masks and gloves combined with regular washing of hands multiple times during the course of the day addresses the second challenge. Repeated deep cleaning of the production infrastructure including the premises prevents their possible contamination. And finally, the decision to pack every order hermetically ensures full protection during the transport and delivery process.

Finally, eliminating all cash transactions allows a full “contactless” experience whereby the orders placed and pre-paid online or through a dedicated phone line are individually fulfilled and delivered in a “sealed” form at the doorstep of the customers,” said Kazem Samandari, Executive Chairman, L’Opera.

The bakery chain which has over 18 cafes spread across NCR and Dehradun opened only 6 outlets including Khan Market, Civil Lines, Vasan Lok, Green Park, GK2 in Delhi and one in Dehradun to ensure its staff and customers safety.

The future of eating out

This is the one million dollar question and Samandari doubt anybody has the correct answer to it, however, from today’s perspective; the outlook is not nice both for the restaurateurs and for the patrons.

The restaurant operators have to face tremendous challenges in terms of high rentals, strict regulations and obligations regarding enforcing hygiene norms, training of the staff and increased overheads due to the same. For the patrons there will be the anxiety and the fear associated with the risk of contamination whilst eating out and the changed habits during the lockdown which will not disappear at once. I believe it will take between 18 to 24 months before a semblance of normalcy returns to the industry.

Is the delivery model here to stay?

“Absolutely. We believe the future of our activity will be a combination of the so-called click and mortar businesses or in other words online shopping and in-store sales with the first becoming more sophisticated over time and the latter more experiential,” he added.

 

The past few months have been difficult on everyone. But as the world slowly crawls back to normalcy or rather adapts to the new-normal; there are lots of things to cheer us on this difficult new path. As per the government’s directive many restaurants across the country opened their door for the businesses on 8^th June.

From masks, gloves, PPE kits to disinfectants and scans, restaurants are doing all possible measures to bring business on track. As the foremost supplier of high-end of bakery and confectionary products, L’Opéra, immediately moved to a home-delivery model as early as April 5th, once the required authorisations were obtained and the necessary safeguards were put in place with the security of the customers and the staff, highest standards of hygiene and the associated food safety measures taking front seat in all considerations and procedures. The bakery chain which has over 18 cafes spread across NCR and Dehradun opened only 6 outlets including Khan Market, Civil Lines, Vasan Lok, Green Park, GK2 in Delhi and one in Dehradun to ensure its staff and customers safety. “We believe the future of our activity will be a combination of the so-called click and mortar businesses or in other words online shopping and in-store sales with the first becoming more sophisticated over time and the latter more experiential,” said Kazem Samandari, Executive Chairman, Lopera who has not opened outlets at locations that has high rentals and malls.

Bringing Innovation in menu

Restaurants and food players are playing with menu to attract customers to their outlet. Many have introduced healthy options in the menu whereas others have gone local and have introduced menu as per the Indian taste. McDonald’s India – North and East has introduced two new ‘Chili’ burgers and Orange Fizz to its menu as part of an all-day menu which is available through delivery and take-away counters from select restaurants in North and East of India.

“We are excited to bring the new Chili burgers and Orange Fizz to our customers in North and East of India. Our goal is to provide value with the highest quality experience to our customers by offering hot, fresh, great-tasting food,” said Robert Hunghanfoo, Head, CPRL that operates McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India.

Normalcy will take time

For the patrons there will be the anxiety and the fear associated with the risk of contamination whilst eating out and the changed habits during the lockdown which will not disappear at once. “I believe it will take between 18 to 24 months before a semblance of normalcy returns to the industry,” added Samandari who is in no hurry to open his remaining outlets.

Similarly, Bengaluru-based Byg Brewski has reopened its door for customers from 8^th with top-notch hygiene practices and an even more spacious seating arrangement than before, the brewery has ensured that nothing hinders customers from having a great time.

“We also started takeaways for craft beer earlier this month with our full roster of everyone’s favourite beverages ready for takeaway at attractive prices. We have also put extra emphasis on home delivery options for those who want to enjoy the dishes straight from their kitchen to their living room,” added Pravesh Pandey, Director- Partner, Byg Brewski that is also planning to setup a kitchen in Bengaluru's Indiranagar.

Riding on the same boat, Hyderabad-based Paradise Foodcourt which is famous for its hyderabadi style biryani and haleem has also re-opened doors for its customers with only 15-20% of customers coming to dine-in.

 

Globally there has been a sharp uptick in searches for services that deliver vegan food to people’s homes, shared a research by SEMrush that has captured granular data about global eating habits during the lockdown.

Globally, searches for keywords like “vegan delivery”, “vegetarian delivery”, “order vegan food”, and “order vegetarian food” increased by 128%, 233%, 51%, and 27% respectively from January to May 2020.

The SEMrush study suggests that while India remains the undisputed motherland of vegetarians, globally, vegetarian food is growing increasingly popular as well.

“During the lockdown there was a surge in online searches for services that have vegetarian food delivered to peoples’ homes; we believe that this is a strong indication that, globally, people are less concerned about contracting Covid-19 from outside food. Our study shows that the popularity of plant-based meat is falling globally. This may be because consumers overseas don’t see plant meat as a real substitute for meat,” shared Fernando Angulo, Head of Communications SEMrush.

The study indicates that there are a significant number of people globally committed to vegetarianism. As many parts of the world have been in lockdown, an increasing number of vegetarians around the globe have been ordering vegetarian food from outside. The study suggests that searches for vegan/vegetarian deliveries have slightly decreased" in India.  

The SEMrush study also captured a hugely relevant trend. It found that, globally, the popularity of plant-based meats, which are vegetarian products that closely match meat in taste and texture, has fallen dramatically from January to May. Global results show that searches for brands like “Beyond Meat”, “Impossible Burger”, “Gardein”, “Simple Truth”, “Incredible Burger”, “Raised and Rooted”, “Happy Little Plants”, and “Nestle Awesome Burger” fell by 45%, 63%, 18%, 18%, 33%, 46%, 46%, and 56% respectively between January to May 2020.

Many prefer not to substitute real meat with artificial meat. Yet as this trend was spotted during an unprecedented time, it may not indicate that plant-based meat brands don't have a product people want. Rather the trend may simply be an anomaly that is a reflection of an unprecedentedly unique time.

“While our study shows that there has been a fall in searches for brands that sell plant-based meat, the fact that this drop happened during a period when much of the world is in lockdown may indicate that it is a temporary trend. Globally, consumers may wish not to buy plant-based meat because they have full access to vegetarian food. Also ironically, they may have decided that for the time being, until normalcy resumes, real meat is a suitable substitute for plant-based meat,” he added.

 

A business especially a restaurant business keeps you on toes & everyday there is a new day with a new crunch. Being into the service industry you’re always wearing a smile even if your chef has resigned and you have no other option.

Midst of a normal day, suddenly a feeling of astonishment, shock & fear raced through people’s mind when the news broke that restaurants were no longer allowed to provide dine-in experiences to customers. Now that restaurants are opening with some guidelines & restrictions, it certainly gives us a ray of hope. We need to gear up & do things right.

A lot of your blood, sweat, and tears have been poured into your venture. From renovating the building with our own hands, designing and creating menus, running and funding the day-to-day operations, and even marketing, it’s all been done by them. It’s your dream & you have to make this work.

I have met, called and visited a few partially open restaurants & based on a few observations & my own advertising & marketing experience sharing some marketing tips for your restaurant/food/hotel business.

Be Transparent & Adaptable: Share & showcase the safety precautions & process you’re following with customers.  Show the kitchen through glass so that they know what’s happening inside. Your hygiene standards will be visible and when they see how informed you are, they will be more likely to trust that your business is taking precautions seriously and that it’s safe to order from you during this time.

Be Clear with your offerings: What options are you offering: Online-ordering or delivery? Make it as easy as possible for them to take action. Make your call to action clear & bold on the website. Do diligent homework & highlight/promote the same thing across channels. This clearly will make you stand out from the crowd.

Only Food and Beverages is not enough: It’s going #vocalforlocal. People are looking to support local businesses. Gift Cards can bring immediate revenue and in small denominations one can start offering gift cards. For merchandise quick & easy one, by setting up an online store within the website &customers can rock merchandise by creating brand recognition. They can post photos to social media of them wearing merchandise as a way to further support to your restaurant.

Let People Find You: Use SEO so that it’s easy for people to find your restaurant online. While at home, there are more people online now than ever before make sure that those who are searching for local restaurants can find you. Be in their close reach. Make sure the delivery team follows the same standards which kitchen team is following.

Tell Your Story & Spread Positivity: Easier said than done right? Share about your team’s strength & background. Tell customers about your journey, how you choose the location, crockery & interiors. Be sensitive with what you speak. People are craving for positivity. Use humor or DIY to teach people cooking. “Make story telling a part and parcel of your offering”, quotes Bhavya Kohli of Pho King, a Vietnamese Restaurant in ChampaGali.

These are uncertain times and all we can do is, give our best shot. People will certainly take time to come & enjoy fine dine. You have to be innovative & follow the new normal. Market will bounce back & you will be better equipped if you don’t give up now.

About the Author: Dinesh Bhasin, is the founder of bread n butter, an advertising agency. Helping businesses grow by giving them marketing & communication strategy and by designing social media & advertising campaigns for both online & offline mediums.

 

Food safety is going to be the para-norm to get customers back to the restaurant. Also, customer trust is one important thing that restaurant owners need today. It is not just the protocol that the government has given them but what is more important is as a restaurant owner, chef what is it that they are going to tell their customer, share with them that gives them the confidence to walk into the restaurant. And, as adversity has become the new normal for any restaurant brand today by adopting carry out or delivery as a model to follow out at their premises. Here is seasoned restaurant and chefs talking about their restaurants and practices they are planning to adopt.

Fine Dining may face a tough time

“There are no parallels between the two if you ask me. At that time, we knew the enemy, where they were and unfortunately this corona has been very invisible, unknown enemy. We don’t even know how it comes, where it comes. That time we were aware that these terrorists will come down; we will have to make sure and save the people. But in this situation we can only try our best to make sure that people are safe once we reopen the restaurant and ensure that guests have been given that kind of confidence, staff is given that confidence by saying look you are back,” shared acclaimed chef Hemant Oberoi recalling 26/11 terror attack where he rescued over 150 guests at the hotel. “I am sure it is going to take some time but I am very positive that it will bounce back between 6-12 months because we are all inter-linked,” he added.

There’s no denying that initially, people will be very hesitant coming out and dine especially at the fine dining places where they are spending so much time, every meal in the evening was 2-2.5 hours long. Probably, if they would come, they won’t go through a 5-course meal 0r 7-course meal they were going through and they would want to get out in an hour and so. Things will change from, hygiene, sanitation perspective and SOPs will have to be different for restaurant owners.

“It is going to change especially for the fine dining where almost 70 per cent of the produce was imported and going to be a difficult scenario. We don’t even know when imported goods will arrive and whatever was in stock we might not use it because it is already more than three months now. The menu will change according to the ingredients available,” added Chef Oberoi who is running fine dining restaurant Hemant Oberoi in BKC, one of Mumbai’s prominent location.

How Casual dining is making most of it?

Restaurants have to start fresh as there is another era altogether now. When the rest of India is slowly opening, they are going to put their foot in the market where everyone is very uncertain including the restaurant owners and guests. Are they going to go? How often are they going to go? Are they going to go immediately? You don’t know what the market is like.

Casual dining is also facing the heat. With new regulations where restaurants are advised to maintain at least 6 feet distance, it will be highly impractical for them to run the business. “In Mumbai, restaurants are not that too large especially casual dining so it is very impractical to expect that there will be exact 6 feet distance between the tables. Also, 6 feet distance will leave us to not even half of the tables to start with,” shared Syesha Kapoor, Associate Director, Silver Beach Entertainment & Hospitality.“Restaurants may be able to explore parallel business. All in all we really have to work on cost. We have to work with staff as a lot of staff has gone back and maybe we can divide our team and do multi-task between our staff. Rents have to be re-negotiated, we need to work on a new model altogether. It can’t be location based now. It is now what is practically possible to pay if we are running with 50% occupancy,” she further pointed.

QSR is winning the game

Everyone believes that to continue further and bring restaurant business on track, they need to work on certain guidelines; including limited and fixed menu, automation and processes and employee and staff training. “As a quick service restaurant we work on a limited menu. The simple fact that you have limited menu allows you to build much better productivity in your team,” said Seema Arora Nambiar, Sr. Vice President – Menu, Marketing and People Resources, McDonald’s- South & West India whose restaurants were open for delivery during the lockdown. “We have opened few restaurants in Gujarat and Bangalore for dine-in. Customers are little edgy about coming in and coming in contact with employee. Simultaneously, employees are also uncomfortable about that,” she pointed by adding that migrant labours contribute to around 30 per cent of their workforce.

“The first thing we will do is how we will change the processes. In the backend we will have to make changes in terms of automation which is an investment from owners and operators of restaurants. Also, training in terms of people where people come from socio-economically sector will become third important aspect,” concluded Nambiar.

 

As restaurants have resumed operations and are fully-prepared to welcome their loved customers post lockdown, there are many restaurants that will not be able to serve their customers at some of the prominent locations in the country. Restaurants like Café Turtle, SmokeHouse Deli, Smokeys Barbeque & Grill, Sidewok to name a few have either shut their shops or have reduced their operations at Delhi’s Khan market. Earlier, Le15 Patisserie was also closed at Mumbai’s one of the top locations, Colaba. Similar case can be found at Connaught place Delhi that is house for some of the most celebrated restaurants, Pebble Street has already shut shops in CP and Garam Dharam.

Though, many of these restaurants will remain operational at their other locations. Also, cities popular desi-food chain Imly has opened only one outlet and remaining are closed, happily doing delivery orders. Despite, all these challenges fast food joints like KFC, McDonald’s and Pizza Hut amongst others are happily opening their doors to the customer as per the directives by MHA.

“Initial hesitation in dining out, will soon be replaced by cautious visits to malls and restaurants, and contactless dine-in will be the centerpiece of futuristic tomorrow for casual dining or quick-service chains,” said Neha, Marketing Director, Pizza Hut India whose motto is to serve ‘TRUST’in every bite and their entire focus is on ensuring utmost Safety and Hygiene, both for customers and employees. “Our contactless dine-in estates are safe and enableour valued customers to experience the completely digital process right from viewing the menu via QR codes placed on the table to making payments,” she added.

Pizza Hut will now offer contactless dine-in across all operational stores in India. The company will continue its Contactless Delivery and Takeaway facility as well, which has been functioning throughout the lockdown.

With Contactless dine-in in stores, right from accessing the menu via QR to making payments, the entire process intends to be completely digitized.“People and technology are both key to making the Dine-in experience as safe as possible. And we are ensuring adequate training and SOPs for people while using technology to enable contactless seamlessly.” added Neha.

Also, McDonald’s North & East in line with the Government’s notification on the safe reopening of restaurants has resumed dine-in services in select states across North and East of India. Customers visiting these restaurants will experience a safe and relaxing in-restaurant atmosphere, as McDonald’s has implemented nearly 50 plus process changes to ensure the safety and wellbeing of customers and restaurant staff.

“The safety of our employees and customers is our top most priority and with our enhanced safety and sanitation procedures in place we are giving our customers some semblance of normalcy,” said Robert Hunghanfoo, Head, CPRL (Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. operates McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India).

Similarly, KFC has already put in place robust safety practices to ensure that their consumers can enjoy their favourite KFC food with friends and family when they come to dine in, while being assured of their safety. “We have modified the restaurant designs to reinforce social distancing, trained team members according to new norms and are implementing measures like distanced seating arrangements, demarcated waiting spots in the queues, controlled customer inflow, etc. All this while extending our existing 4X Safety Promise of Screening, Social distancing, Sanitization & Contactless – across platforms, that meet WHO and Health Ministry guidelines,” shared Moksh Chopra, CMO, KFC India who has re-opened restaurants for dine-in in a responsible manner and in complete compliance with the latest directives of the relevant authorities as well as the SOPs issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

 

How Biryani By Kilo staying strong during the current lockdown?

Biryani By Kilo being primarily India leading Biryani & kebab delivery chain is in better position as Food Delivery seems to be less affected & should bounce back fastest from this crisis. Customers are preferring food delivery currently with Big Brands which they can trust for safety & hygiene. Biryani by Kilo has taken all necessary steps to ensure hygiene & safety for its employees & consumers. Customers can see all these steps at https://biryanibykilo.com/safety-standards  Also Watch BBK Safety Hygiene Video -bit.ly/2U572H1  

How much has the current pandemic affected your business?

Amongst whole of F&B, Cloud kitchens seem to be less affected. For Big Brands in Food delivery there should be a silver lining in current crisis. We are back to 70% -75% of our business volume used to do before Covid-19.

It was in the news that you had seen a spike in order during the lockdown. What are the numbers of orders you are doing daily?

BBK outlets wherever state Govts are allowing us to be open are doing quite well in current crisis too. This situation should become much better in next few weeks. We believe BBK should be in very good position to take care of this opportunity due to fast steps taken around hygiene & safety and better communication.

Who is your regular customer during this time?

Everyone who is concerned about Hygiene & safety is our customer. Celebrities, Our Regular guests, Bureaucrats, Corporate Clients, Families everyone is currently ordering through us!

What is the future of contactless delivery going forward?

Contactless deliveries are going to be future now. Restaurants will have to actively practice social distancing in every aspect, ensuring Delivery rider & customer safe delivery and food.

How have you designed your menu because I think going forward people will look at more fresh, healthy and local ingredients?

BBK is positioned to give best product in Biryani & kebabs delivery under authentic Nizami cuisine category & will continue to focus on the strengths. We will Keep on adding the regional flavors in our menus as new & fresh offerings to our customers. Also, BBK will always retain its USP to make fresh Handi Biryani for every individual order, and deliver the same Handi to customer in which Biryani is Dum cooked.

It is believed that staff is an important part of any business. How are you helping your employees during this time?

Yes, staff is an important part of any business & BBK management treats the organization as family. At BBK, we are ensuring that we keep everyone on Job so that can take care of their families. Entire Corporate team is contributing to ensure that the Staff welfare & interest are taken care of. Apart from this, Staff has been provided with Clean & hygienic rooms to stay. We do Sanitization of the rooms every day & provide 3 times healthy meals to our entire staff. Temperature monitoring happens every day which gets logged in shift logs & is also visible to all our customer on our Website. Also we all have to keep honouring the staff & delivery riders who have kept India safe. We have come out with poetry to honour these riders. Kindly watch at https://youtu.be/-c3ASzNFa70

What is your plan for expanding the brand?

To give best product in Biryani & kebabs delivery category to customers. Create strong middle management, standardization and strong focus on technology, safety, and hygiene& customer service. Also, by keeping costs low & organization lean & agile.And yet preparing for fast recovery & growth which should come soon in case of Food delivery. BBK has been also giving out lots of daily complimentary meals to needy in different cities during this crisis. Also we all have to keep honoring the staff & delivery riders who have kept India safe. We have come out with poetry to honor these riders. Kindly watch at https://youtu.be/-c3ASzNFa70. BBK will continue to expand aggressively keeping these values & ethos intact. BBK plans to grow to 150+ outlets pan India in next 3-4 years and expand to some international destinations. BBK plans to achieve Rs 500crs+ annual revenues & healthy bottom line in next 4 years.

 

As the nation limps back into a new normal, there are significant changes that cannot be overlooked. Enthusiastic high-fives & formal hand-shakes have turned into social and physical distancing practices, a projected 5 trillion economy has gone into contraction and once-booming industries have come to a stand-still in the space of 70 days.

 

The F&B industry has not been spared - with most restaurants shut and delivery aggregators reporting up to a 70% decline in order volume. Amidst all this, a pivot to a cloud kitchen model has been championed by some as a panacea to the industry’s current woes. A few large hotel chains and some restaurant chains have already started experimenting with this.

Never let a good crisis go to waste!

In the mid-1940s, approaching the end of World-War II, Winston Churchill famously said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” He was referring, of course, to an alliance between himself, Stalin, and Roosevelt, an unlikely trio that would lead to the formation of the United Nations!

COVID unfortunately, is a terrible crisis, but there is a silver lining in its wake. The F&B industry will eventually emerge out of this crisis. Cafes and restaurants will start getting customers much before the world gets vaccinated, possibly as soon as countries achieve herd immunity. In the interim, there will be opportunities that will be created – a few dine-in / take-out restaurants might make a successful pivot into cloud kitchen-based formats. New cloud kitchen-based concepts are launching their brands during this period. How well they understand and tackle the challenges will be the key differentiator and will be essential for them to survive and eventually thrive. Simply listing on aggregators and starting deliveries is nothing less than welcoming cash burns. Instead of trying to preserve legacy strategies and business models, F&B players, in the current circumstances will have to learn new competencies. Having done that, a cloud kitchen model may just turn out to be a safe bet in the times of Coronavirus.   

Time & Patience = Ingredients to scale!

A large successful cloud kitchen company is often a chain of small kitchens that are held together with one or multiple processing units that partially or fully service the smaller kitchens. It takes time to develop a chain of kitchens pieced together to adequately cover all the pin-codes of a city. Hiring the right crewin the right zones, building adequate supply-chain networks, placing the right-size kitchen in the right zone are important considerations and need to chalked out very carefully.

Revenues of Cloud Kitchen Vs Traditional Restaurant Models

If you are a restauranteur looking to make comparable revenue from a cloud kitchen model, there needs to be the recognition that revenue per store at a cloud kitchen is typically much lower than the revenue generated by one 50 seater dine-in restaurant. It may take about 4 or 5 successful cloud kitchens to attain a similar top-line as that of one dine-in restaurant. Even if you run a multi-brand format from one cloud kitchen, the revenue generated from those individual brands will not be comparable to the revenue of one dine-in restaurant. 

Expertise & Specialisation = Two major ingredients to perfect the playbook!

Large and specialized cloud kitchens companies typically display expertise beyond just the ability to cook food. In addition to cooking consistent quality food, a large and scalable cloud kitchen network must be tech-enabled if not a full tech company in itself writing codes and developing algorithms to manage its processes. Without a strong tech backbone, it is difficult to make perfect nationwide supply-chain & procurement decisions, as an example. Similarly, it is important for every national or city chain to develop a strong MarCom strategy, which allows them to amplify and communicate with their patrons. Unlike a physical restaurant, the customer interface in a cloud kitchen is extremely limited. You get a small window to wow your guests and retain them. Popular categories like biryani are heavily competitive, therefore an additional understanding of SMO& SEO functions plays a major role in building any new online brand.

About the Author

Madhav Kasturia is the Founder, ZFW Hospitality Pvt Ltd has 23 Internet Restaurants across 13 Cloud Kitchens in NCR.

 

You often stop by a restaurant or food joint that is doing something extraordinary or is going out of the box to cater to their loyal customer. Fozzie's Pizzaiolo, the Ahmedabad Italian restaurant chain started by Parth Fozdar when he was just 24 will blow out your mind. You would be happy and safe to order from this pizza chain which is city’s one of the best as per customer review.

 

The restaurateur-cum-chef who has turned himself to a delivery boy just to satisfy his customer’s craving and to pay his staff during the pandemic which has hit the restaurant business to the core.  “It was the 5^th day of the restaurant closure when the lockdown was announced. We made it very clear that we are going to have our 4 pillars- my two chefs and two managers and got them together and told them that I am not going to have any dishwashers, helpers and it is just going to be four of us where one person could manage the internal areas, order and everything. You need to cook, pack and deliver everything. We did this because there is now law that says rent will be exempted, I still want my staff and people to suffice them and take care of them,” shared Fozdar who started this business out of love for food and all things fine. Excerpts from the interview:

How it all began

The inspiration came from my home. All my close family members were into cooking and looking at them I was always very fascinated and that inclined me to cooking and learning new things. After my boards, I realised that cooking is my passion and I want to take it forward. I applied for hotel management from Welcome Group of College in Manipal and did my post graduate in culinary from Switzerland, work there for a year at one of the most exquisite fine dine restaurants in Switzerland and came back started working in Silver Sands Holiday Resort in Goa, handling two restaurants for the property as a head chef at. I always believed in hand crafting each pizza that is served in the joint. I was supposed to go back again to Switzerland but things didn’t worked out and sitting home depressed, not knowing what to do, where to go. Just to start something, Fozzie's Pizzaiolo came up where I wanted to do a takeaway where people call me for the order. That was from my home. That’s how Fozzie’s was started.

When did you move to the casual dining space?

We soon moved to a casual dining place from a 40 seater diner to a 100 setaer diner. We do have Mexican, khowsuey and our own version of Biryani. Pizza is our base but then if someone is coming to our restaurant and want to look for other options, we do want to give them the choice, we want to give them an option where not everyone enjoys the same food but I might enjoy that food. To suffice everyone’s taste buds we started getting new cooks, chefs who would develop recipes. And, that’s when there was a certain point of satisfaction when I come back home.

How are you trying to keep your kitchen/food safe during this time?

We properly sanitize every single day, the bleach water sanitization is also being done, mask and gloves is mandatory for all of us working.

How are you delivering your order safely?

We are both on Swiggy and Zomato. But a lot of people were calling and saying that we do not want to order from aggregators because we do not know where they have been etc keeping the safety point in mind. That’s how we started delivering ourselves. We have divided time and area where people call us and pre book their order. I am the one who deliver food to the customers so I make sure that I do not come in contact with anyone else.

How is the menu design for this period?

We have made a concise menu and sent it to every person on my whatsapp. Everyday, at 7:20 in the evening I leave my restaurant to deliver food. I am doing this because people trust me, the brand and they believe that we are delivering safe foods. Also, we are doing Swiggy and Zomato because there are certain areas that is not in our reach and there are people who do not mind ordering via these aggregators.

 

What are the numbers of orders you are doing daily?

We are doing around 50 orders on an average. The ticket size is around Rs 600-700 rupees. Apart from this, we also do some social work where we go out every day and supply foods to the poor and needy.

What are your plans opening restaurants now that we are already allowed to open from 8^th June?

I would want to shut for 4 days and see what the progress is for Covid cases in the area and then open our restaurant. I have realised that the whole market is moved online and that’s going to be the future.

 

As restaurants are all gearing up to open their doors after almost three month in Unlock 1.0, the health and family welfare ministry has issues guidelines for opening of malls, restaurants, hotels etc.

The restaurants need to disposable menus and napkins at restaurants, contactless technology-based check-in at hotels, and employees with co morbidities and expectant mothers not to be allowed in frontline public dealing jobs — these are a part of detailed guidelines issued by the government for hotels, restaurants and as they resume operations starting Monday.

While following social distancing measures, the ministry has asked all establishments to ensure hand sanitiser dispensers at the entrance, marking out specific places where people could queue up, and ensure only asymptomatic individuals are allowed inside.

What are India’s top Restaurants Doing?

“We will only have 25% of the original seating arrangement. A customer will walk in with disposable plastic gloves, will order through QR code, food will be left on a movable plate that he will have to get himself and serve,” shared Anjan Chatterjee, Founder & CMD, Speciality Restaurants that operates Mainland China, Oh! Calcutta to name a few.

The directive also asked restaurants to encourage takeaways and avoid dine-in as much as possible. “They should have disposable menus and disposable napkins for dine-in. Though shopping malls would be functional, gaming arcades, children’s play areas, and cinema halls inside malls would remain shut,” added the SOPs.

Restaurants in containment zones shall remain closed. Only those outside containment zones will be allowed to open up. Also, the staff for home deliveries shall be screened thermally by the restaurant authorities prior to allowing home deliveries.

A standard directive is to not assign public dealing frontline work to persons with comorbidities, pregnant women or elderly people. The guidelines lay down that hotels should offer online forms, contactless check-in and check-outs. Luggage should be disinfected before sending the luggage to rooms, as per guidelines.

“Additional patrons to be seated in a designated waiting area with norms of social distancing,” read the directive.

Restaurants are also advised to operate with not more than 50% of seating capacity. And, Buffet service should also follow social distancing norms among patrons.

What’s happening at India’s top hotels?

Also, hotels have been asked to promote web-check-ins and use of technology as much as possible. The SOP aims to minimize all possible physical contacts between Staff and Guests and maintain social distancing and other preventive and safety measures against COVID-19.

“For room service, communication between guests and in-house staff should be through intercom/mobile phone and room service (if any) should be provided while maintaining adequate social distance,” the directive added.

“As we navigate and adapt ourselves to the new normal in all aspects of life, there will be a new balance in everything we do including our approach to the business of hospitality. The overall lifestyle changes and the manner in which we do business will have us taking a step out of the box, to ideate and create new experiences that are meaningful, valuable and convenient for our customers,” shared Neeraj Govil, Senior Vice President, South Asia, Marriott International.

Commenting on the same, Anil  Chadha,  COO,  ITC  Hotels that earlier ventures into takeaway and online delivery said,  “At ITC Hotels, we are committed to delivering  world class cuisine experiences that address  the  needs of well-being through  responsible  practices  which  are  in harmony with the environment  and  society.  This conforms to our ten year strong ethos of Responsible Luxury.  In  keeping  with  the  current requirements, special training programmes are conducted and precautions for personal, social, and  workplaces  are  being  explained  to  all  associates  for  awareness  and practice. We are re-engineering our guest experiences with zero/low associate engagement (including digital ordering and e-payment solutions).”

 

In the current situation of lockdown due to COVID-19 where the majority of the restaurant and F&B industry have stopped their work. There are many brands that are on their toes and giving their best to provide people with their daily necessities and supplies during the hard times of the country and its citizens. One such major industry running for daily essentials and to ease life is the delivery kitchen/stores. The Baker's Dozen is one amongst such brands providing people with their daily bread without any interruptions in its service in this quarantine period. Carrying on the supply and products in such a sensitive time is a great task for every brand as it involves a lot of precautions and safety measures to be taken.

To spread the word on the hard work of every brand Aditi Handa - Co-Founder and Chief Baker at The Baker's Dozen shares her views in an open letter on the "Moral responsibilities of the brand during and post the crisis"

“The current pandemic situation is an extraordinary time for everyone and for every individual. We are all experiencing situations at work and home which we hadn’t planned for or haven’t dealt with earlier in life. At times, I feel as if I am living in a movie, it’s very unreal with lots on highs and lows. Yet it’s true, very true and we need to address it head-on and be supportive to each other as much as we can,” shared Handa.

Handa who comes from a family of freedom fighters grew up listening to real-life stories from her biji (maternal great grand-mother) and nana of how the entire country had united during the freedom struggle; whether it was 5-year-old child distributing pamphlets or a young man following leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel or Bhagat Singh. Women, young and old were on their toes to sew khadi at home to make sure everyone wore desi as part of the Swadeshi Movement. “I found these stories very inspiring as a child. The people of that generation experienced a time of struggle and did their share of duty towards the nation. They developed a value set that was unique to them. I always wondered if we would ever be lucky to serve our nation like that and do something worth being proud of for our nation,” she added.

When the COVID-19 started hitting India, The Baker’s Dozen considered shutting their factory to ensure everyone was safe. They took a 2-day shut down around the Janta Curfew day. “We got calls from our customers in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi to know whether we will be supplying the next set of orders, could we provide contactless delivery and so on. They needed food and I started thinking that if today Indians like us who provide daily essentials would stop producing, we may have a bigger problem on our hands than even COVID 19. We realized that it was our moral responsibility to be able to provide fellow Indians with their basic food requirement. Finally, the chance had come where we could serve our nation similar to how our forefathers had during the freedom struggle,” she said proudly.

The café is operating at a 50% lower capacity, but their entire staff is showing up every day to serve their customers and country.

To provide food The Baker’s Dozen consider it to be their moral responsibility to be able to supply daily essentials at this difficult time our country is going through. Even with limited manpower and lockdown restraints, they are ensuring a consistent supply of bread as much as possible.

To protect their staff is their first & foremost priority and they remain to ensure the utmost hygiene and safety procedures, at their manufacturing set up and at stores, for the staff and their health. “We have ensured the staff that we have at the manufacturing facility have no travel history in the 3 weeks prior to lockdown or interactions with people with one. This means we are working with lower staff strength than usual,” she further shared. The group is also providing them transport to ensure they don’t use any form of public transport. The staff is also working while keeping a safe distance. “We monitor their temperatures and our personnel hygiene protocols are very stringent. Even before the lockdown or Janta curfew was put into action, considering the safety of our store staff and delivery staff, we had started the process of contactless delivery. This meant 2 pre-paid orders, delivery at the entrance of complex or if it’s door-step delivery, then maintaining a safe distance. Our delivery boys are trained to sanitize their hands frequently and use masks. At stores, we have similar sanitation processes as in our factory for personnel hygiene and sanitization of work counters, doors knobs, etc,” shared Handa.

The product to be hygienic, healthy and safe they have always believed to make a product that is hygienic, healthy, natural. This runs in the blood of every employee at TBD. The sanitation process of their equipment and facility is very stringent to ensure the product has the highest hygiene standard.

Training our staff to be extra cautious and washing their hands even more frequently at this time, wasn’t a task at all… simply because they are already so used to following the highest standards of maintaining health and hygiene.

Also, they have only a select few people who are allowed to touch the product post-baking until it's been packed in the inert atmosphere in the special barrier packaging film that they use. The staff that is in contact maintains hygienic protocols of covering their arms and hands, sanitization of work surfaces the product is on, wearing marks, etc.

During this period, every company is coming up with efficient ways of working due to a lack of manpower. Their delivery mechanisms on the sales-end are becoming more efficient by doing bulk deliveries in areas or complexes. Such practices bring about a lot of operational efficiency for the brand and the customer. “It is our job to ensure we can follow such practices post COVID too. We need to spend time and resources on developing customer awareness in the arising need for simplifying lifestyle choices and streamlining our lives,” said the chef and restaurateur.

“And finally, I am thankful that we are guided by such a thoughtful and supportive team of employees and associates who have proven to be the very best through all of their efforts, advice and have stood by every decision made by us. Throughout this harrowing experience, I have been inspired by all of you. Even in the worst of circumstances, I’ve seen the very best of us. There is undoubtedly more uncertainty and tough decisions ahead of us for the upcoming days. And we will tackle them as a team, with a wide range of voices and perspectives that will make us stronger,” she concluded.

 

The global economic and human crisis, COVID-19, is impacting various verticals worldwide. The host of industries is being affected drastically and has been undergoing a complete overhaul in consumer demography, behaviour and industry trends.

The hospitality domain is one of the most impacted industries it thus requires significant measures to be taken, such as integrating new technology with regular dining and making the sector comparatively pandemic-resistant. This step will not only aid in keeping up with the latest advancements in the field but also control the damage done by the virus.

Aligning themselves with a similar thought process, in April, Abhishek Bose, CEO at My Menu and Neeren- Tewari, Director at My Menu India, leading International digital menu company specialising in digital tablet menu had announced to provide complimentary QR ordering to restaurants all across the globe to combat the post-pandemic era.

In a span of one month, the brand has already signed up with marquee properties like Taj Hotels, Radisson, Novotel, Ibis, Mercure, Royal Orchid Central, Oakwood Premier, Zone by Park, Biryani Batuta.

Internationally, it is seen collaborating with 1800+ restaurants including Gordan Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen, Caesars Palace Hotel Bluewaters Dubai, Nandos, Wagamama, Carluccio’s , and has been made a corporate standard by Accor hotels . Owing to the current industry scenario, My Menu is further expected to take another step towards success and sign up with 5000+ Indian restaurants in the next quarter.

“The decision to offer complimentary QR ordering was taken purely out of concern for our colleagues in the hospitality industry and their guests. Doesn’t matter the price tag, in any company it takes time for approvals. Since we realized this indecisiveness is putting people’s health at risk, hence the decision to give it out for free allowing companies the time to make an informed decision,” said Abhishek Bose, CEO, My Menu.

The menu is one of the most used and significant items in a restaurant and digitising it are the only way to combat the spread of infection in the dining space. The strategic initiative offers various solutions where the QR Ordering can be done via the guest's mobile. The guests scan a QR code on their mobiles, go through the menu and place the order via their phones without downloading any app.

“Our aim is to not just associate with the prominent chains but with every local food joint of India. My Menu’s thoughtful initiative will further spur market readiness in the modern world to prevent and contain flu-like virus dissemination,” added Neeren Tewari, Director, My Menu India.

Commenting on the same,  Atul Aggarwal, Director of IT, Caesars Bluewaters Dubai said, “During the current time of uncertainty, it was observed that the guest wanted to have the least number of touch points especially while they were dining. My Menu’s QR based menu eliminatess paper menus which may transmit viruses. My Menu brings the Menu right on the gguest's personal device without any touchpoint or by installing any APP. At Caesars Palace Bluewaters, we implemented My Menu in our signature restaurant Gordan Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen where it took off instantly with the guests. Owing to the guest's feedback, we implemented in all the restaurants including Havana Social Club. ”

Meraj Mohammed, Cluster IT Head at Rixos Hotels, "The application is extremely useful with hi-end features to enhance the food and beverage business. Backend is very simple that even a non-technical teammate can update the content easily.  In the present scenario, QR code-based digital menu is one of the primary requirements to avoid COVID-19 contamination using the paper-based menus. "

QR Ordering system allows guests a complete contactless, self-ordering system, table service to communicate with the wait staff.  My Menu's online ordering and restaurant delivery module can interface with any restaurant POS thus making it the perfect add on module for restaurants to start accepting orders directly and avoid paying hefty commissions to third party aggregators/delivery portals. Evolving the dining sector and matching pace with nascent technologies, the brand is working towards creating a successful and safe dining experience for the consumers.

 

With the Ministry of Home Affairs issuing guidelines on a phased reopening, many businesses will reopen next week (8th June) onwards and people will slowly start resuming regular life. With that, restaurant owners believe consumers will likely seek solace in human interaction for a reassurance of normalcy and security, especially after the prolonged periods of lockdown, although with an assurance of safety and well-being.

Following Govt’s Protocol

“We have planned for ways in which consumers can enjoy their favourite KFC food with friends and family when they come to the restaurants, while being assured of their safety. We have modified the restaurant designs to reinforce social distancing, trained team members according to new norms and are implementing measures like distanced seating arrangements, demarcated waiting spots in the queues, controlled customer inflow, etc. All this while extending our existing 4X Safety Promise of Screening, Social distancing, Sanitization & Contactless – across platforms, that meet WHO and Health Ministry guidelines,” shared Moksh Chopra, CMO, KFC India.

With Govt announcing restaurants and cafes to reopen from 8^th June under MHA guidelines it will not be easy for them to re-open due to certain restrictions being implemented on the sector under Unlock 1.0.

“It is a good sign that restaurants may be allowed to open soon. I emphasize on the word “may” because there is always is slip between the cup and the lip,” said Sanjeev Kapoor, Celebrity Chef & Entrepreneur by adding that the whole industry has been on verge of collapse and with this ray of hope things may slowly come back to somewhat normal. “It would regenerate employment for thousands of people whose livelihood depended on this. Business may still continue to be slow hence needs support from all stakeholders including government, property owners and customers,” he added.

Shortage of migrant labours that contributes a lot in the restaurant workforce, dining timings that has been reduced to 9PM and also bars not allowed to open and restaurants asked not to sale liquor would all become a tough ecosystem going forward.

“The last two months have taught us a lot; we learnt the art of resilience and survival amongst many other things. We are thrilled that restaurants are opening once again and there is finally a ray of hope that the F&B industry will survive, and by God's grace flourish in time,” shared Syesha Kapoor, Associate Director, Silver Beach Entertainment and Hospitality India Pvt Ltd by adding that having said this, they are fully aware that their guests’ health and safety is #1 priority. “Our entire business now and moving forward will have to be planned basis this as the core. It will be challenging but we welcome this new beginning,” she further pointed.

Also, apart from Bengaluru, all major metros including Delhi and Mumbai that contributes majorly to the dining out business in terms of volumes and footfall comes under red zone and hence will see only a few businesses running, with areas under containment and micro-containment zones.

Also, as Maharashtra is continuously seeing a rise in the cases, the state Govt here prohibited the reopening of hotels and restaurants from June 1 to June 30.

Is Contactless Dining Future of Restaurants?

“This welcome announcement from the government and all our stores are fully prepared to serve valued customers. We are already following all regulatory protocols and guidelines issued by the government, WHO and FSSAI at our stores since Contactless Delivery and Takeaway is operational,” quoted Merrill Pereyra , Managing Director, Pizza Hut Indian Subcontinent.

The restaurants are all geared up by doing temperature checks of customers and staff and ensuring masks are worn by restaurant staff at all times. Sanitizers have been installed at key touch points and ordering stations and seating have been re-aligned to maintain social distancing norms.

“All our stores are equipped to offer Contactless Dining wherein right from accessing the menu to making payments, the process will be digital,” said Pereyra.

Learning from Global Franchisees

Commenting on the same Mandeep Singh Sethi, Vice President – Operations, Burman Hospitality Pvt Ltd (Taco Bell’s Master Franchise Partner in India), said, “The government’s decision to allow the opening of restaurants and malls outside containment zones is a welcome decision. Restaurant brands like ours have been working diligently on creating and testing new ways of operations designed for the post COVID-19 world. Being a global brand, we at Taco Bell already had to adhere to a stringent set of protocols which meant we were leaders in terms of health and safety.”

He also added that to reinforce this, they have been gaining knowledge from what other Taco Bell franchisees have been adopting globally and have already started introducing a number of features that will make them the safest restaurants in India. Some examples are re-organizing restaurant layouts, creating an end-to-end contactless dining experience for our consumers, as well as introducing new business models which have a greater focus on delivery and take-away.

“We will re-open our restaurants with additional hygiene and safety measures. Social distancing will be followed both on the restaurant floors, as well as in the kitchens; temperature checks will be enforced for everyone entering our restaurants, whether it is our own team members or our customers; wherever possible, delivery orders will be fulfilled without needing riders to enter the restaurant; seating arrangements will be altered to respect social distancing, ensuring adequate distance between people even when at the same table; all employees will be wearing gloves and masks at all times; contactless payments will be encouraged and all restaurant surfaces will be sanitized at regular intervals. Customer and team member safety will be paramount, whatever the cost to us,” he added.

 

 “I’ll have a pizza with a side of anxiety please”... she thought to herself as she placed her order at her favourite restaurant.

With the onset of the pandemic that is the COVID-19, the entire world is shook. Anxiety, fear and restlessness have become a part and parcel of daily life. Visiting public places have become a strict no-no which has some of us feeling like we are under house arrest (or am I the only one?).

However it is not just our lifestyle that has been affected. We are also aware that various industries such as the F&B industry have been hit hard. Research says that after the agriculture industry, it is the restaurant industry in India that employs the maximum people. Hence, with ample amount of down time, it might be a great opportunity for restaurant owners to look at some restaurant marketing activities in order to stay top of mind. 

Innovation is the key: As the saying goes, nothing changes if nothing changes. Chefs and bartenders alike should take this downtime to develop new skills- be it innovating cocktail mixes, or coming up with innovative recipes.

Stay connected and relevant: With the world on pause, everyone is constantly on social media, looking for interesting pieces of shareable content or the next new trend (read: Dalgona Coffee). Therefore, it is essential for restaurants to stay relevant, not just by following trends but also by becoming trendsetters. The frequency and quality of social media posts help stay top of mind. It does not mean that one has to be repetitive in a way that television commercials work. Simply having a voice on social media ensures that social media users have an ‘e-bond’ with the restaurant- a bond which should last till we are on the other side of the pandemic.

Communicate safety measures: Restaurants should spend time on highlighting the safety measures they plan to undertake on social media. This builds trust and confidence among their target audience. A few easy to execute examples of safety measures are plastic covered menus, doing away with shared condiments like ketchup and seasoning, and using disposable paper plates as well as cutlery.

Popularize the concept of eating in cars: At present there are a few restaurants that are already following this concept. Considering restaurants will not be operating at their full capacity for a while post lockdown, food service in cars could be a feasible and convenient alternative to keep restaurant profits up.

Bring back familiar comfort food: I think I can speak for the rest of the Indian population when I say not many people would be craving fancy meals at this point. Once restaurants reopen, people would prefer eating familiar comfort food that makes their insides happy. Restaurants should try to work around this sentiment and update their menus with a separate section dedicated to comfort food to attract more customers. Portion sizes should also be revised to cater to large groups.

Start planning your return: We all know the present pandemic will not last forever. So while waiting for things to get back to normal, the most important step would be to capitalize restaurant business with a re-launch plan. Restaurants should think about the essential questions- Why should people come back to your restaurant first? How can you tempt them back with all their family and friends?

Capitalise on targeted marketing campaigns: Targeted ‘we miss you’ email campaigns and follow-up thank you emails could be a great way to bring back regular customers and deepen your relationship with them. In addition to the above, it is essential to respond to customer reviews and maintain a strong relationship with food influencers once restaurants reopen to reinforce the fact that the food quality and hygiene levels have not been compromised.

Create a positive environment: Restaurants should work on updating their collaterals as well as their decor. The average diner looks forward to a great meal with a positive ambience and cheerful employees, more so in such trying times.

Consumer habits change at a rapid pace, and change is unavoidable. Once we are past this pandemic, tastes and preferences of customers are sure to differ from what they were during the pre-COVID era. Restaurants will have to work on all aspects, from menus, to marketing from scratch in order to rebuild a connect with customers. I believe that restaurants will surely recover, reopen and rebuild slowly and steadily. The key here is to let customers into your world with some savvy marketing, and they will surely reward you with loyalty when this is all over.

 

About the Author

Revaa Anand is the Marketing Manager at Pass Code Hospitality, a hospitality firm that has quickly become one of the brand leaders in the F&B industry in India. She started her career in corporate PR with Burson Cohn & Wolfe in 2016. Her specialty areas have been hospitality and aviation sectors. Between 2018 and 2020 she has pursued both social media marketing as well as public relations and has had a diverse range of clients as a brand consultant.

 

The only way to emerge from this is together, as a community. And the ones that will survive will become stronger, leaner and effective. Having said that, not everyone will be able to brace the impact of this pandemic. There are two major aspects, one is how we survive the lockdown and the other is how to bring back normalcy and be at par with what we were.

 

What we need to emerge : First and foremost, we need the government to acknowledge that the Food and Beverage industry that is roughly 60 billion dollars and employees around 7 million people or I may say 7 million families are directly impacted, is in trouble. The fraternity is worried and the sentiment is breaking down on an hourly basis. So, we need the government to act now and tell us that we will be taken care of. Surprisingly this hasn’t happened yet. 

Liquidity is our major problem and a rebate or a waiver in statutory dues, compliances could be one of the things government can look into. Things like salary support, license fees, VAT, GST inputs, interest on tax, and electricity bills could all be looked into to improve liquidity by

the government. 

 

We are a capex and manpower-intensive sector and we are closed and we will be the last ones to be open hence we will need the stimulus as we speak. Once we survive the onslaught, we will need policy changes that are pro-business and pro-tourism.

 

The real estate owners will need to pitch in for our survival. As I said it will be a joint effort and only then we will be able to overcome this. Overall corrections in rents and the percentage of rents will happen to ensure that we remain alive and sustainable. Pre-Covid rents have come to tune of 20 percent of the sale making the P&L lopsided and bottom lines miniscule. This will need to balance out to a health and survivable rate.

 

The Employees: We have always taken care of our employees and we will continue to do that, but like in any other sector a cut in the overall salary brackets is on the cards. The employees will have to work with the business owners. 

 

The Aggregators : Collaboration and making a win-win for the business owner and the consumer will be the key, as one will only survive if the other does.

 

Consumer : The most important peg will be the consumer, and we need to work on measures to bring back the guest and the entire ecosystem will need to toil for this. No stimulus can save us if we can’t bring back to our establishments 

 

The new safe: It will depend on establishment to establishment and format to format; however stringent par levels will need to be maintained across all formats.

From Guest management, floor control, safe distancing, medical checks of staff, deep cleaning every week, fumigation and sanitization drills all will come in play.

The establishment (infrastructure), the employee and the customer will all need to be screened and managed to ensure proper safety protocols.

The FSSAI will need to up their game not only in screening and certifying eateries but also training the food and beverage staff. 

 

How will the industry change?

 

Dining in will become big across all segments of restaurants, people will order pizza from La Piazza and from Dominos. Restaurants will boast about hygiene rating and food safety procedures and how one fare on these parameters will be critical. I feel Coffee shops, casual dining restaurants will be the flag bearer for the resurgence as guests might take more time to be back to luxury restaurants, clubs and high-end bars. 

Street food will also take a huge hit, the humble gol-gappa cart might be a thing of the past, as quality and hygiene will be a key tick mark for consumers. This also means that there will be an opportunity for street food to come into mainstream dining concepts. 

 

Number of people coming in 

Its uncertain times, and as an industry we might be the last sector to open post the lockdown. No matter how much optimism I may have, the sector is going to see a considerable percentage drop of customers. We will need to make the consumer comfortable with the idea of dining out post the Covid scare and would need to make it safe to the best of our ability. 

 

The seating arrangements 

It’s a given that a 100-cover restaurant will now be a max of 60 to 70 covers, ensuring, and practicing social distancing guidelines and protocols. Customers will not venture out to crowded places.

 

The dishes being cooked and ordered 

We will see initiation of contact less dining, well not in the literal sense, you will still have a plate and you will have to eat, but various touchpoints will be eradicated, like being presented with a menu, being presented a bill, etc. This will all be done digitally. 

We will also see smaller menus, many dishes that are suitable for delivery, automation in the kitchen, less manpower so on and so forth.

 

Post COVID we are looking at new rules of engagement and there won’t be a single mantra that will work. The consumer behaviour is the key, and two schools of thought are prevailing one suggesting that the consumer will become extremely conservative and the other suggesting that Covid has given a new meaning of life and people would want to make the most of what they have.

 

Food and eating out gives joy to people it creates memories for a lifetime. In today’s world our next conversation is our last meal so I am optimistic that if we are able to survive the onslaught, we will resurge stronger within a period of a year.

About the Author

With 18 years of experience, Tarun is a product specialist having core competence in food and beverage category, across production, operations, formats, food heritage and food and liquid culture. He has a strong experience and expertise in food and beverage business and strategic planning, he has worked The French Ministry of food and agriculture, The Irish food Board and The Meat and livestock Association of Australia. He has also spearheaded the Marketing and sales department at Fratelli wines and trained over 3000 people on wines.

At present, Tarun is the culinary director and co-founder at One Fine Meal and award-winning catering firm and has many restaurants under his wings - Cafe Staywoke, Street Storyss, Sidecar, The loft, Urban Deck, Ministry of Sound and his latest offering Titlie. 

 

There are videos on various Digital platforms featuring a snappy, a groovy Vietnamese song accompanied with a fun dance about washing your hands in a proper manner. The impact of the video was tremendous. Numbers of views and comments were really high. That clearly means that social media and right communicated message is going to bring a huge difference. Post COVID-19, the industry of Influencers will grow but in a different manner. More Meaningful content, right communication of messages and information will lead to affect brand’s image.

“As a food and travel influencer, we will now have an increased responsibility of sharing feedback of hygiene level at the eateries while sensitizing travelers on safety instructions to follow and ensure their and other people safety,” said Pawan Soni, Founder, Indian Food Freak by pointing that as per WHO Covid is here to stay and hence we will have to take it as a part of life while ensuring hygiene and safety. Even pictures of influencers using sanitizers, masks etc will go a long way in not only imparting its important but also to make the safety gears in vogue.

Most of us think that quarantine situation has negatively impacted the influencer marketing industry. But on the contrary, most of the brands in Hospitality & Travel industry are shifting their focus on leveraging digital Influencers to spread the right message related to safety and health measures. “This Pandemic situation has left customers scared and restaurants need to win the trust back with their new strategies. As an Influencer, we are showcasing live cooking sessions of various Chef’s from different restaurants showcasing all safety measures they are taking while cooking,” shared Nikhil Chawla from HMM Blog.

It’s about awareness now

Educating more than selling will be the next marketing strategy that all F&B brands should move onto. Times are tough for all the industries but for Hospitality Industry it’s the toughest. Utilizing an influencer's creativity to show initiative is the need of the hour. “As responsible blogger/influencer, it is our duty to do our bit for the establishments that have supported us all along by rewriting about them, Creating listicles, promoting their efforts on sanitization of premises and care taken in cooking, packaging, and delivering and also by sharing any promotions they do with our readers”, believed Gurpreet Singh Tikku from Mister Tikku.

Commenting on the same Rosme Chaube added, “Thankfully influencers have the luxury of being digital nomads which now will be the biggest consumer category for hospitality industry and they will prefer destinations that focus on organic food, local experiences with emphasis on wellness and high speed digital connectivity.”

Influencers and industries have a symbiotic relationship and with Covid19 that also has to evolve. Affiliate marketing will become the norm as hotels look to offset their losses while still procure business and this will also filter out relevant influencers while assuring a win-win situation for both.

Bringing Brands and Consumers together will be the next most important step from now of any influencer. Most of the followers have become closer to their influencers as they have kept them entertained during this quarantine period. Influencers should maximize the message and not the budget with brands atleast for some time now.

We all are in this together!

 About the Author

 

 

A hotelier from New Zealand having an experience of 20 years in the industry returned to India with a dream of having a cup of tea with our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jagdish Kumar, a follower of Modi Ji, sacrificed his green card and came back to India in December 2018. Here he started his own business of selling chai.

Started from the scratch of selling usual tea, he then started a brand named Chotu Chaiwalah serving 35 variants of tea and their most popular varieties with quirky names like- Mummy Ke Hath Wali Chai, Mardo Wali Chai, Corporate Wali Chai and Dosto Wali Chai are what makes it a unique point of attraction.

After receiving quite an applaud for his work in this sector, he started his own company named Corpbite under which he opened multiple food brands like Chotu Chaiwalah, Chaat House, Unlimited 24, Motulal Bhaturewala and more since 2018. Inspired by Modi and his journey, he wishes to meet him one day over a cup of tea and associate it with his startup mission to make youngsters aware about the 'Make In India' campaign and realize its potential and guide them to grow a business under its concept. Excerpts from the interview:

What was the whole idea behind NRI Chaiwala? How many outlets are you running?

As I mentioned I am a big fan of Modi Ji and his startup policies like startup India, make in India, and digital India. The whole idea for NRI Chaiwala is to introduce and spread the variety of chai within the country. Encourage the youth and let them aware the value of startups.

Since, you are one of the biggest admirers of PM Modi. How are you trying to make his vision ‘Vocal about Local’ successful?

Well, the message is very clear that the honorable Prime Minister Narender Modi ji is promoting local products and trying to make it in India so the country cannot be dependent. We are doing a couple of things for vocal n local.

a) We are trying our best and using all local products so that will help boost the Indian economy. Like The chai leaves us all bought from Assam to promote our local product. We do not import from China or Sri Lanka. Our all the product is local

b) We are spreading awareness that how important is made in India, (vocal for local) how it’s contributing to developing the nation as well individual per capita income.

Covid-19 has brought the whole sector to an halt. What is the future of restaurants like yours?

India’s restaurant industry is facing what is possibly its worst existential crisis. While the COVID-19 lockdown reduces risk of transmission, it has also meant that revenues dropped to zero, with businesses struggling to find the cash to pay their employees and make rent. Even after lockdown ends, dining-out will never be the same. Restaurants can bring about contactless dining. From checking in to the restaurant and seating themselves, to ordering and online payment, limiting contact with staff would go a long way to maintain social distancing and hygiene norms. Customers could also be able to pre-book their food through apps, or do so via smart phone apps once they reach the restaurant and are seated. Valet service would also offer minimal physical contact, via automated valet tokens and minimum-contact handover of car key. Restaurant will focus mainly on delivery or take away.

I believe that post Covid, customers will be much more selective and conscious going to a restaurant/ cafe. How are you planning to beat this fear from your loyal customers?

Hospitality sector has been one of the worst-affected service sectors due to Covid-19 and is expected to take longer than expected time to recover. As people would continue to avoid travel and crowded space in the post-lockdown days, the sector would see slow recovery. It is very difficult to survive in the dining industry for the next few months or may be a year at least. We are carrying out sensitivity training across our teams, and modified body language models to include maintaining a healthy distance, this could mean reducing the number of table. We are not exposing crockery, cutlery or glass ware to reduce the chance of contamination. We are keeping it in a safe cupboard and when required it will be brought and placed on the table. Of course all the tables are going to be cleaned with sanitizers and chlorinated water. Our entire cutlery is washed in dish-washers with effective soap solutions where water temperature is as high as 80 degree. When it comes to sanitization and cleaning we are taking utmost care,

Tell us something about your uniqueness and way of cooking that makes NRI Chaiwala different from other tea cafes?

Cooking - well our cooking style is not different but our quality of ingredients (Mostly we made in house) if I will talk about chai, we mix a variety of chai leaves and make best chai out of it. We know how much quantity of chai leaves we have to use to make one final product. Our chai masala enhances the taste of chai made from a variety of secret spices. Our background, expertise, knowledge and skills in hospitality give us confidence which others do have. We do understand the role of quality ingredients and quantity we required. A part of cooking below is some of our USP which makes us different from others.

Pricing - our pricing is very reasonable, based on location, clientele and menu selection.

Menu Selection – we do change our menu as per local preference for example (Only) if we think of this particular location we have pizza lovers rather than Wraps.

Higher output in less time - NRI Chaiwala works on a strategy to value and satisfy every customer of the outlet that worked as USP for the brand in producing higher outputs.

Premium atmosphere of outlets - The atmosphere inside NRI Chaiwala cafes is a great stress reliever and relaxing. With proper and right kind of background music, relaxing furniture design.

Diversified Menu - NRI Chaiwala has a diversified range on its menu. Initially serving different flavored tea, serve different snacks and dishes for both Indian and International customers

Are you also delivering online or is there any plan?

As soon as we will get permission by the local government we will start delivering

What according to you will be the future of tea cafes in India?

We Indian are emotionally attached with this industry as after the water chai is most consumable drink in India, we start our day with chai. We can see unbelievable growth in the tea café business, many new startups (TEA CAFÉ) came and succeeded; most famous are Chaayos, Chai Point, NRI Chaiwala, and Chotu Chaiwalah. People are not accepting but they are getting used to it. They are appreciating the new variety in chai cafes and chai atmospheres. Corporate and youth have made these places their chai adda, we can see significant growth. Also investors are very keen and have shown their interest as funding these projects. Recently many brands got funding in millions and can see their rapid growth in opening new outlets and turning into profitable business. Indian was tea nation tea lover’s country is a new concept and variety has boosted this industry.

 

KFC is doubling down on its efforts to keep its team members and customers safe with the introduction of KFC to Your Car or Bike.

An extension of contactless takeaway, KFC to Your Caror Bike is a first of its kind service in India with the food being delivered to your vehicle. Customers can place a prepaid order on the KFC App, website or Msite and arrive at the designated spot near the restaurant where their order will be delivered to them.

The new service is being launched at select KFC restaurants across cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, among others.

“While delivery remains one of the easiest ways to access KFC, with ‘KFC to Your Car or Bike’, our aim is to offer safe and easy access to those who are already on the road for essential journeys or on their way home from difficult work shifts. It comes backed with our 4X safety promise – of sanitisation, social distancing, screening (of temperature) and contactless service. Through the use of the KFC app and digital payments, this service is easy, quick and completely contactless,” said Moksh Chopra, Chief Marketing Officer, KFC India.

KFC has upped its existing operational protocols with its 4X Safety promise. Intensified sanitization at the restaurant includes all surface areas including tables, counters, doors, and door handles that are sanitized every 30-minutes. The delivery teams wash & sanitize their hands & bags after every order.

All team members, including delivery riders, are regularly screened and undergo daily temperature checks, wear masks and gloves. With a limited menu on delivery, we are able to operate with a smaller kitchen team maintaining all norms of social distancing. Moving into a completely contactless delivery & take-away approach means no contact between the delivery executive and the customer, with online payments as a recommended practice. The food packaging is further secured with a tamper-proof seal to ensure that nobody has touched or accessed the food from the time it was packed until delivered. As quality is key at KFC, the food is prepared with utmost care and is it cooked at a high temperature of 170 degrees.

KFC to Your Car/Bikewill be available across select restaurants. Contactless Takeaway will be available across all restaurants in the country. Consumers can order their KFC favourites on online.kfc.co.in or through the KFC app.

 

The novel coronavirus has affected restaurant businesses heavily, as governments across the world are enforcing social distancing rules and discouraging public gatherings. Concerns related to food safety and hygiene has also emerged among customers, though there is no evidence to support the transmission of COVID-19 through food.

Customer footfall is down tremendously and only cloud kitchens, delivery and takeaway models are operational. In response to the current crisis, restaurants are getting creative and coming up with innovative ways to fight back.

The challenge is unprecedented, but restaurants have quickly undergone a seismic shift by thinking out of the box. Let’s look at some of these short-term changes implemented by QSR chains to stay relevant, engage customers and do their bit for the community.

New Operational Models of Food and Essentials Delivery

Safe Delivery Initiatives by Junzi Kitchen: US-based fast-casual restaurant Junzi Kitchen had started their contactless delivery model four weeks ago that allowed couriers to drop-off the food package at the door of the customer. As tensions have escalated, they have adopted a new practice – delivering the food with a new ‘integrity seal’ that protects the bags from ripping open on its way to customer location.

Restaurants Signing Up for Online Food Delivery: Deliveroo Singapore has reported a 50% jump in restaurant sign-ups as a growing number of eateries are looking to join the online food delivery business model. As per reports, 600 new restaurants in Singapore have signed up since late January to deal with the drop in customer footfall.

Domino’s Pizza India Partnered With ITC For Delivery of Essential Items: Amid the 21-day countrywide lockdown, Jubilant Foodworks that operates Domino’s Pizza in India has tied up with ITC Ltd. to supply its Aashirvaad brand of wheat flour and spices to customers. Domino’s is leveraging its pizza delivery network to deliver grocery essentials to customers, through the “Dominos Essentials” section on its mobile app. This comes at a time of disruptions in the logistics network, making it harder for households to buy goods of daily use. Demand for home delivery has also surged with the Government-advising people to stay indoors. 

Investing In Mobile Apps:  Mobile Ordering Saving the Business for Duck Donuts

Duck donuts’ USP was made-to-order donuts, and hence the shutdown was particularly challenging for them. Thankfully, they had launched mobile ordering in 2020, that gives them the option to salvage sales, while providing ordering convenience. In addition to curbside service, some franchisees are creating the made-to-order experience in deliveries, by providing add-ons of sprinkles, toppings, etc. that customers and children can use to decorate donuts at home.

Trimming Their Menu To Bestsellers: McDonald’s USA to Remove Unpopular Menu Items: McDonald’s USA has decided to cut short their elaborate menu in the light of the coronavirus outbreak. The idea is to simplify their operations as they work with less staff and plummeting customer traffic. Restaurants are likely to leverage the offerings of data and analytics to pinpoint their bestselling items and drive sales through personalization via mobile apps.

Innovative Ways to Keep Customers Engaged: Customers of Burger King France are huge fans of their Signature Whopper burger. With an easy-to-follow picture guide, the burger chain tweeted the recipe of the Whopper burger to let the customers make it at home. As the tweet gained traction and engaged customers, Burger King France went on to release recipes of more of their popular dishes. 

Implementing Social Distancing Measures: Subway and Domino’s chains in Singapore are doing their bit to enforce social distancing in their food joints. The stores have demarcated designated ordering areas and made seating arrangements to ensure the safety of the customers. Hourly cleaning and sanitizing of all customer touchpoints are also part of their efforts to curb the spread of the virus. 

Giving Back to the Community: In the midst of huge revenue losses, restaurants are still coming forward to fulfill their social responsibility towards medical personnel and their employees who are risking their health and safety for their work. 

Serving Healthcare Workers and Frontliners

Free Meals for Medical Personnel: In a humanitarian move, Nando’s North America has launched a Community Service Program with the aim to bring hot catered, free meals to the hospitals near all Nando’s outlets. They have also pledged to provide free takeout to healthcare workers who walk in with a valid ID and donate surplus food to local food banks.

Delivering Happiness for the Frontliners: Cafe Amazon, Tim Hortons, BonChon and Dairy Queen are doing their bit to help and support healthcare workers, medical personnel and front liners during their fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in the Philippines.

Minor Food Group in Thailand, and its brands – The Pizza Company, Sizzler, Dairy Queen, and Burger King, have extended assistance to the frontline medical workers across the country. Their initiative is to deliver food and sweets directly to the hospitals as a token of support and appreciation.

Addressing Employee Needs

Jollibee Food Corporation in the Philippines has launched an emergency fund of PHP 1 billion for its employees who cannot make it to their workplace due to enhanced community quarantine measures.

McDonald’s Philippines have also announced a special package for the employees who are risking their safety to go to work at their select stores that are open in the midst of the pandemic. 

Chipotle Mexican Grill has started to give their hourly employees who are still willing to work a 10% increase in their salary as a token of appreciation. 

Yum! brands, through its brands Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger, have launched multiple initiatives in the month of March, helping communities, employees and franchisee operators. Right from providing free meals to front-line workers, healthcare professionals and children impacted by school closures in the US, to providing financial support to employees and restaurant managers and books to families in need.

The increasing ‘shelter at home’ mandates have given restaurant businesses a push to think outside the box! Social distancing is the motto of the day, and probably for many more months ahead. Restaurants have the opportunity to be creative and many are adopting new-age technology and becoming more data-driven. Investments in mobile apps are on the rise, and so is the quest to upgrade their personalization to drive sales and online customer engagement.

Will the changes in consumer behavior last, long after the crisis is over? Will the new methods of operation and surge in online ordering stay for good? What do you think?

About the Author:

Bhavna is responsible for product marketing for Manthan’s Customer Experience Portfolio, and is continuously striving to help technology buyers navigate a complex martech landscape. She works with the product team, analysts and clients to create and evangelize technology enabled customer engagement best practices. Reach out to her to understand how customer data and personalization are disrupting traditional marketing in the retail and restaurant industries.

 

Even among the industries affected by Covid-19, the bar industry is in an unusual situation. It is expected to be among the last of the businesses that would be allowed to open after the lockdowns are lifted in various cities. But continuing social-distancing restrictions would mean that even after the bars are allowed to re-open it would be a long time before patrons return to bars in large numbers.

The resulting loss of revenue would mean loss of jobs or pay cut for thousands of bar workers across the country. The 17 bars that have registered on the 30bbbarfuel.in site alone have a total employee strength of more than 700 and a monthly wage bill of around INR 1.2 crores.

The initiative

Ranking and awards platform for India’s bars 30BestBarsIndia, has started an initiative, ‘Bar Fuel’ as a crowdfunding platform to support bar employees across the country affected by the economic crisis unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bars all over India who need assistance are requested to register on the www.30bbbarfuel.in. The details of each bar are then made available to public and corporate donors on the site.

Donors have the option of supporting one bar or multiple bars of their choice directly by clicking the Donate Now button against the name and picture of each bar. This is a purely public service initiative and 30BestBarsIndia does not retain any commission.

30BestBarsIndia was founded in 2019 to recognize, rank and award the best of Indian bars and bar professionals through a transparent public poll. The donated amount will go directly and fully to the bar of their choice, minus the payment commission of the payment gateway. Since this a Covid-19 relief initiative, Razorpay has waived off the commissions charged by them on any contributions received.

19 bars have already registered on the Bar Fuel site including IFBA (Indian Flair Bartenders Association), and more are expected to do so in the coming weeks. The initiative is gaining support in Kolkata, Delhi - NCR, Mumbai, and Goa, along with a few other cities.

Sidecar in Delhi, Together at 12th in Gurgaon, Perch and Leaping Windows in Mumbai, and The Grid in Kolkata are some of the bars that have already registered.

Bar Fuel has raised more than INR 5 lakh on the platform so far from individual donors. The hope is that corporate donors, particularly the big players in the Indian alcobev industry would donate in a big way in the coming weeks. 30BestBarsIndia has set an initial target of raising INR 50 lakh through this crowdfunding effort.

Mumbai bar Leaping Windows is the largest recipient of the donations so far on www.30bbbarfuel.in.

"This is a really nice thing you have done. Instead of sitting around and hoping for the best, you've given us something to do. Much appreciated," said Bidisha Basu, of Leaping Windows.

According to Vikram Achanta, co-founder of 30BestBarsIndia, "In our opinion, bars that have actively focused on building their fan base and their community will find their community coming back to support them. Bars which survive this crisis will also realize we feel the importance of building a strong community and also, more importantly, a personal connection with their patrons ".

"Bar fuel is a great platform created at a very important time. It is definitely playing an important role in supporting the needy”. To this Pankaj Kamble from IFBA (Indian Flair Bartenders Association) added that this acts as a perfect catalyst.

 

There’s no denying that restaurant industry is one of the worst sector being impacted by the novel coronavirus. Though, there are reports that suggest that over 60% of the restaurants may face the pandemics heat by either shutting their doors permanently or reducing their offerings and operations. But, there are few restaurants that are getting ready for the revival once they open their outlets post lockdown. Globally, top restaurant brands are coming up with ways to maintain social distancing post covid as this will be the new normal going forward.

Grab-and-go: At select locations where social distancing can be accommodated, customers can place an order in the café and take it to-go or use the order ahead and pay feature in the Starbucks App and pick it up at the counter. There will be a limited number of customers inside at one time, floor markers and signage will promote social distancing, and seating areas will not be open.

Wearing hat with swimming noodles: To ensure social distancing, a Café in Germany has made the customers wear a hat with swimming noodles attached to it to stay six feet apart as they relish coffee and a cake on the city’s backstreets. Owners of the Cafe Rothe in Schwerin, a town in German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s home state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were allowed to reopen for the public. 

According to their official page on Facebook, during their reopening on Saturday, May 17, they had patrons don special hats with pool noodles to maintain appropriate space between the customers to avoid transmission of the coronavirus. In a photo that the café shared on Facebook, patrons can be seen enjoying the sunny weather seated with their company at outdoor tables, all wearing hats with colourful pool noodles. 

“Though the customers enjoyed the silly hats, but the experiment proved how hard it is to maintain the distance, even for well-informed adults,” shared Jacqueline Rothe, Owner at the restaurant by adding that this was the perfect method to keep customers apart — and a fun one.

Running without waiter: Ransäter, Sweden a pop-up restaurant, named Bord for En (Table for One), doesn’t have waiters. The food, kept in a basket, is served from the kitchen through a pulley.

Plastic barriers: An eatery in Thailand has plastic barriers to maintain social distancing. At the Hanji restaurant, which serves Taiwanese-style hot pot dishes, plastic screens had been set up between tables in line with government orders to keep customers two metres apart. “We have built the barriers from plastic sheets and tubbing. We follow all the rules that the government handed out and the Bangkok city gave out. Whether it could prevent COVID-19, we cannot really tell,” said Ittinun Trairatanobhas, Co-owner of the restaurant.

Technology will boost the business: Wingstop, like many chains, had a disaster plan in place. On March 16, the chain closed all 1,413 of its dining rooms. It shut down its corporate offices. And it shifted its focus to takeout and delivery only. Charlie Morrison, CEO has clearly stated goal of converting 100% of Wingstop’s transactions to digital mode. Right now, 65% of sales are made via the chain’s digital channels, and 75% of orders are for off-premise consumption. Also, the wings chain is using that data to suggest that a customer branch out and try a different one of the chain’s 11 wing flavoring options.“It’s an easy way to personalize it and perhaps generate another occasion we wouldn’t have gotten before,” Morrison said to Restaurantbusinessonline.

Contactless takeaway is way forward: KFC India is doubling down on its efforts to keep team members and customers safe by introducing Contactless Takeaway.

This is an ordering experience in which the customer can place a prepaid order on the KFC App, website or mSite, and walk into the restaurant to pick up the order at the pre-decided time. The new service is aimed at providing a completely cashless and contactless experience to consumers. “With Contactless Takeaway, our aim is to offer safe and easy access to those who are already on the road for essential journeys or on their way home from difficult work shifts. It comes backed with our 4X safety promise – of sanitisation, social distancing, screening (of temperature) and contactless service. Through the use of the KFC app or website and digital payments, this service is easy, quick and completely contactless,” said Moksh Chopra, Chief Marketing Officer, KFC India.

Reducing the number of guests/ distance between chairs: Whereas, things are a little different at restaurants in Dubai. Some restaurants are either reduced the occupancy or have done at least 2 meters distance between restaurant tables. JJ Chicken in Dubai has customers separated by a two-meter distance.

 

COVID-19 outbreak is a tough time for all of us mentally and physically. One has to take extra measure to work on the immunity and health so as to avoid hospital visits. We have quick tips for the Thai restaurants that are functional right now to incorporate a few healthy ingredients. They are not only packed with flavours but also add up to that nutritional value into the dishes.

Hot Basil- Basil is one of the oldest herbs we know and basil’s healing and healthful properties has been the most treasured knowledge across the world. Holy basil is revered for its strong therapeutic and healing properties. Basil leaves are used in a variety of culinary preparations. Basil is good for digestion and its helps to balance acid within the body and restore the body’s proper PH level. Basil and its strong anti-inflammatory properties can prove to be sure to a variety of disease and disorders. The anti-inflammatory properties of basil help in lower the risk of heart disease and inflammatory bowel conditions. Use of basil could result in slow discharge of sugar in the blood, which is very necessary for diabetics. 

Dishes in which it is used

·         THAI BASIL TEA

·         STIR FRIED MINCE CHICKEN WITH CHILLI AND HOT BASIL

·         STIR FRIED RICE NOODLE WITH CHILLI. GARLIC AND HOT BASIL

Galangal- Galangal is a spice native to Southern Asia. It is closely related to Ginger and turmeric and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine. Galangal root is a rich source of antioxidants, which are valuable plant compound that help fight illness and protect your cells from harmful free radicals. Galangal has capacity to fight and potentially prevent a broad number of cancers and tumours. Essential oils extracted from Galangal root may fight a range of microorganism.

Dishes in which it is used

·         TOM KHA (COCONUT MILK AND GALANGAL FLAVOURED SOUP WITH CHILLI AND LIME JUICE)

·         THAI STYLE FRIED CHICKEN

·         STIR FRIED PORK WITH THAI GINGER

Lemon Grass- Lemongrass is also called citronella. It has a fresh, lemony aroma and a citrus flavour. It’s a familiar ingredient in Thai cooking and bug repellent. Lemongrass vital oil is used in aromatherapy to refresh the air and helps to reduce the stress. Lemongrass contains some antioxidants, which can help remove free radicals in your body that may cause illness. The citral in lemongrass is also thought to have strong anticancer abilities against some cancer cell lines. A cup of lemongrass tea is a go- to option cure for upset stomach, stomach cramping, and other digestive problems.

Dishes in which it is used

·         THAI STYLE LEMONGRASS SKEWERS WITH MINCE PRAWN

·         LEMONGRASS  NOODLE SOUP

·         STIR FRIED CHICKEN WITH LEMONGRASS AND SHITAKE MUSHROOM

 

Thai Red Chili- Thai food is known for their strong flavors and the heat of fresh Thai chilli peppers. Despite their fiery hotness, they are one of the very popular spices known for their medicinal and health benefiting properties. Chili pepper contains an imposing list of plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties. They are also good in other antioxidants such as vitamin-A, and flavonoids like ß-carotene, α -carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and cryptoxanthin. These antioxidant substances in capsicum help to guard the body from harmful things of free radical generated during stress conditions.

 

Dishes in which it is used

·         RAW PAPAYA SALAD (SOM TAM)

·         THAI STYLE MANGO SALAD

·         THAI STYLE GRILLED CHICKEN

Turmeric- The use of Turmeric has been used in our Vedia culture India for it has been used in India for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb. Turmeric contains curcumin, a material with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.  Turmeric Increases the Antioxidant Capacity of the Body which has powerful antioxidant effects. It neutralizes free radicals on its own and also stimulates your body's own antioxidant enzymes. Turmeric can help and perhaps prevent Cancer- Curcumin leads to several changes on the molecular level that may help prevent and perhaps even treat cancer.

Dishes in which it is used

·         CHICKEN SATAY

·         KHAO SUEY

·         THAI STYLE HOMEMADE YELLOW CURRY

Whether it’s preparing food, cooking, eating, or just hanging out, the kitchen is this the heart of the restaurant. That’s why it needs just as much of our attention when it comes to maintaining good and full ingredients.

 

“I have always been curious about food and travelling to different parts of the world, it got me interested in cafes with a continental food experience. This was an opportunity for me to explore and discover food trends with the maximum amount of innovation,” shared Visakh Viswambharan, Director, Cuppa Beverages whose travel journey inspired him to start something similar to that in India with a place where the magic of great food and distinctive ambience goes hand in hand.

Cuppa’s Executive Director, Vijay Sreedhar, during his university days in the UK had developed a fondness for the food industry and decided to venture into the F&B industry. Vijay and Visakh met with a belief of creating outlets that have a connection with the people. When Vijay learnt about Cuppa brand being up for grabs, he jumped at the opportunity and insisted they both kick-start our plans together. That’s how they acquired Cuppa in 2018.

You acquired Cuppa in 2018. Why Cuppa?

We were already working with the former owners of Cuppa, through my first venture Appiness - an IT services firm, and when we discovered that they are looking to divest the brand. I had had a meeting as mentioned above with Vijay before I learnt about this, and I was aware that he was intending to start an organic food chain.

It just seemed like the right thing to do together, and we ended up buying the Cuppa brand. Cuppa has always been around and has made a mark for itself among the young crowd of Bangalore. When we acquired Cuppa, we wanted to create a great experience by giving Cuppa a European touch. We have specified utmost importance to the interiors and the feel of the ambience, to bring out the best dine-in experience.

How much money have you invested in the brand?

The real investment was our time and effort. When you start a venture, that is too close to your heart, it isn’t just about the money, but more about your zeal. Both Vijay and I have been passionately driven by food and we have indeed invested our all, from being involved in designing the outlets, the menu and ensuring everything fits the bill and our vision before taking it to the floors.

The whole idea of cuppa is to deliver fresh, healthy and nutritious food. Why are customers preferring such brands these days?

Staying healthy is a need, not a choice. Moreover, people these days are well aware about what they are eating and they are more into fitness and are health-conscious than ever before, and us being part of the industry, it’s our responsibility to be thoughtful about what we are placing on our customer’s plate. Today an egg is not an egg anymore, it can be organic, locally grown, cage free, non-GMO etc.

We at Cuppa, make a conscious effort to ensure that the food served should be freshly made and we aim to provide the best taste while keeping the nutrients intact. We discourage and do not believe in serving frozen food. We also try to keep up with the food trends, e.g. Grab & Go, Organic and Vegan food are some of the evolving trends and we constantly adapt to it, with the intention of serving our customers better. This is an ongoing endeavour at Cuppa.

Most of our customers are well read and know what they are consuming, they look at the attributes related to health and wellness, ethics, and the environment. Consumers want their food to have an increasingly wide range of benefits. They will pay more for food that delivers the benefits it claims.

You are running 3 different models under Cuppa. Which according to you is more successful?

It’s too early to comment on that. However, all the three models which are Cuppa Café, Cuppa Redefined and CuppaGo are based on different ideas of food service we wish to deliver to customers. Cuppa Redefined - our dine-in outlet has an extensive menu and it would ideally take somewhat more time to settle-in compared to CuppaGo, which is our Grab and Go model.

For the past one month restaurants have been suffering a lot. How do you see the response for your brand?

The past one and a half months have been difficult for the entire industry. We, as an industry have been experiencing some unpredictable and challenging situations of our times. Our grab and go outlets, Cuppa Go which is based on an easy takeaway model, and is placed on the main streets with a good footfall; we are not operational on that front because of the COVID-19 situation. Whereas at Cuppa Redefined, through online delivery apps, we are able to retain 40% of business as compared to before lockdown.

Furthermore, we understand how difficult it must have been for people who aren’t financially well off and need a job and sustenance right now. Keeping this in mind, we started an initiative over 40 days ago and named it as Cuppa HOPE (Helping Other People Eat) where we provide free meals to daily wage workers and people living in slums. The food package consists of lentils, rice and a curry. With this initiative, we aim to serve our susceptible community. We want to reach out to the maximum number of people to ensure that nobody sleeps hungry.  

Are you also doing online orders? What’s the number of orders?

Yes, we are operational through online delivery apps like Swiggy and Zomato. It has been a huge support in order to retain part of the business during this time of crisis. Currently we have all our businesses running through online orders which is helping sustain operational continuity.

What is the future of concepts like Cuppa, post covid?

Life will not be the same post the COVID-19 pandemic. It will have lasting changes in the way we eat, live and work. Some changes are already in process while others will evolve once the lockdown is lifted. According to the National Restaurant Association of India, one of the majorly affected sector post COVID-19 will be of the food services.

Focus would be more on hygiene and social distancing. People would be more conscious about what they eat and where they eat. Also, we might witness the rise of Grab and Go and home deliveries where people can avoid gatherings.

We have already started with regular temperature checks for our staff and delivery executives. We sanitize every 4 hours, all our staff are instructed to mandatorily wear masks and gloves always. Our inspection team does random checks on all our outlets to make sure this is practiced regularly.

We see that post lockdown, customers will be much more conscious when eating out and they would be very particular about the brand they chose to dine. How are you planning to convince your customer?

Cuppa as a brand has always believed in serving customers with utmost dedication and honesty and it’s not going to change post lockdown. We’ll continue taking precautionary measures to assure the safety of our valued customers and our staff. Similarly, we’ll continue creating awareness about the safety and hygiene practices by reaching out to people at large through various social media platforms.

You were planning to open 50 outlets by 2020. Is the plan still on. Where can we see the outlets opening?

 

When we started, we were getting some amazing responses from the customers. We had our hopes high and we were certain on planning the opening of multiple outlets by the end of 2020, until the eruption of COVID-19 situation. The entire industry is going through very challenging times and committing anything in the midst of this situation would be difficult. We’ll continue improvising and once the situation gets better, we’ll plan the go ahead strategy. 

What’s the expansion plan going forward?

These are the most unprecedented times. The effect across the industry has been devastating. Right now our focus is on serving our valued customers with utmost honesty and dedication. Once the situation gets better, we’ll be in a position to decide on how to go about the expansion plan.

 

The restaurant industry has been badly hit by the COVID pandemic. Around the world, thousands of restaurants have permanently closed, millions have lost their jobs. In India, The National Restaurant Association estimates that the industry could lose a staggering $225 billion from the pandemic. These are unprecedented times but if crisis is the true catalyst of change then we can expect enormous innovations happening in this industry to respond to changing customer behaviour and expectations. The hopes are that these innovations will give rise for an even stronger industry in the long run.

Restaurant operators are seeking innovations and modifying their business models for the new post COVID world. Starting from supply chain to restaurant layouts to dining experiences, everything is looked at with a new set of eyes.

Safety and hygiene becomes paramount when dining out. Restaurants which maintain hygiene will be rewarded with customer loyalty and hence the most crucial factor in winning customers for these restaurants will now be TRUST. Restaurants will now have more conscious diners as their customers so putting efforts into safety and hygiene for customers and communicating those efforts will be rewarded.

Restaurants focusing on winning customer trust will be rewarded with lifetime customer loyalty.

According to a survey by AMC Global, a market research firm, 38% of consumers say they will support local businesses more in the future.

Reducing touch points while dining out yet maintaining the experience of dining out displays efforts and sincerity, the restaurant has towards its customers.

Providing digital tokens to avoid waiting in lines, taking orders without touching paper or a screen and providing options for contactless payments will induce trust in customers to dine out.

One other behaviour that will change enormously is the frequency of visits. Diners will choose to visit places they trust more often than exploring new places. Therefore, winning customers and gaining their trust is important on their first visit. Customers will seek trust in the places they go to as a primary decision factor, instead of everything else - convenience, discounts, adventure, exploration, discovery, experience etc. TRUST will triumph all. Loyalty becomes of paramount importance to businesses. It is their loyal customers, their repeat visitors which will bring them business, keep them afloat. Maintaining effective communications with the customers will lead to more repeat visits. Once a customer trusts you, customers will not only visit you more often but also lead to more word of mouth. There is nothing better than winning yourself a brand advocate for your restaurant.

In general times, a loyal customer spends 60% more than an ordinary customer. The loyalty post crisis will be greater than ever, the repeat visits and the spends to the same businesses will be much much higher than before. Restaurants who can build this trust with their customers will be sure winners in the industry.

 

India’s organised dine-in restaurants are on course for a 40-50% cut in revenue this fiscal because of the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which have led to outlet closures, job cuts and trickle-down effect on the food supply chain.

Organised restaurants account for ~35% of India’s restaurant industry, estimated at Rs 4.2 lakh crore in fiscal 2019. Dine-ins are 75% of the organised restaurants, with online delivery/takeaways making up for the rest.

Dine-ins and public entertainment venues in Mumbai, National Capital Region (NCR) and Bengaluru have been shut since March 13-14, 2020, before the government announced the first lockdown on March 25. Online delivery is available in select cities such as Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Pune and Bhubaneshwar, and that, too, at low service levels.

Says Rahul Prithiani, Director, CRISIL Research, “The organised sector has seen a 90% reduction in sales since the lockdown. Dine-in is not operational and online orders have declined 50-70%. And when the lockdown is lifted, the rebound is expected to be only gradual. This holds especially for Mumbai and Delhi NCR, which make up nearly half of the organised restaurant industry in India, but are red zones accounting for over 30% of the Covid-19 cases in India.”

The slow recovery should begin from June. Given low demand and social distancing norms, restaurants will operate at 25-30 per cent of their monthly service levels in the first 45 days after lifting of the lockdown.

Besides, with restrictions on gatherings and public movement likely to be extended again in Mumbai and Delhi NCR, curbs on dine-ins will continue, or, they may be allowed to operate only at low service levels.

This will jeopardise the financial health of many restaurant operators. Additionally, because of high operating leverage, a 40-50 per cent decline in revenue could lead to negative operating margins this fiscal.

The estimates are based on the assumption that lockdown restrictions will continue till May-end. Any further extension will aggravate the industry’s woes, extending the recovery period further.

The decline in revenue is based on the assumption that restaurant services would resume by mid-June 2020, and the likely levels of clientele after the lockdown ends, it said.

To manage liquidity constraints and cash flows, many restaurants are already seeking concessions or deferment of rentals. Players with high debt levels will face pressure to shut unprofitable outlets to save costs and raise money.

While large players with low debt will be able to raise money, business revival remains a big question for them, too.

“Once the restrictions are lifted, restaurants will have to rework their business models and overcome operational challenges. With consumers turning more health-conscious, hygiene protocols at restaurants and supply chain will need to improve materially, which will increase costs,” Anjali Nathwani, Associate Director at Crisil Research said.

The decline in restaurant revenues will, in turn, impact horticulture farmers, dairy producers, food processors, suppliers and logistics and delivery partners. Unorganised food producers, many of which have high exposure to the restaurants sector, will be hit the hardest due to a sharp decline in bulk demand this fiscal.

 

Product plays a very important in any business and especially in the food business where people go to a restaurant or order from a restaurant or dark kitchen players online just for its food. It remains the base of any restaurant business.

Combining offline experience into the digital world

“My father is of the view that you should do only one product at a time. When you are doing kebab, do only kebabs and when you are doing biryani, focus on it only,” shared Ahsan Qureshi, Co-Founder, Cross Border Kitchens whose father Padma Shri Imtiyaz Qureshi was one of the first few chef to make Indian food famous globally. “He will be very excited in terms of spread of our kitchen. When he used to cater there was no online delivery, online marketing etc and he is very excited about the concept I am doing,” he said proudly.

Going forward people will also look at separate window for delivery and takeaway. And, restaurants will have to prepare a designated area and a staff member to handle these orders. Servers interacting with diners should also collect orders from the kitchen entrance itself.

“ Lite Bite Food was started with one outlet by selling subway sandwiches and it was the passion for food that company has grown to more than 200+ outlets today. It is the product that matters whether you are selling it online or offline. If you have the right product available, there is always a lot of a taker for that,” said Vineet Manocha, VP- Culinary, Lite Bite Foods that has done a lot of research on what food works well and what travels well. “We have modified our menu, modified some ingredients. And, a lot of research went into packaging because it is an important aspect when the food has to travel. We have taken a lot of time checking what is working, what is not working, how long does biryani last in a particular packet,” he added further.

Clubbing experience

There’s something that happens every couple of year and the sector, people have to come across it, bear the result. “When we opened a couple of years back in 2008, we had recession that happened. And, there is something around the corner. We are in the business where various things affect our business and that kind of teaches you to always be ready for a rainy day and hang in there. Having been running restaurant business for a while we wanted to diversify the business and also as delivery is becoming order of the day,” pointed Chiquita Gulati of Spice Market whose concpet Call Chotu is a modern Indian take whereas Nayi dilli k parathe is a take on parathe which is a must for all delhites.

Commenting on the same Anshul Khandelwal, Head of Marketing, Category and Revenue shared, “We always had inspiration to manufacture food rather than deliver food. The value is actually in creation and not in delivery of food in long term.” He also pointed that their heart was always about creating brand and not delivering food. It’s been only six months since they have really started their business. “We are doing around 40 kitchens in India in our 6 cities and one of which is the khichdi experiment which in just six month is one of the most loved concept,” he added by pointing that the reason they are doing is that India really needs a large national brand instead of big global QSRs. There is no Indian brand which is present pan-India across every city and has created a food revolution.

And, as we know that China eats 30-40 per cent of their meal outside home whereas in India it is less than 10 per cent. So, there is a huge opportunity to culturally shift this and also there is a need to have trust in ordering food from outside. “We intend to create large multi-crore pan Indian food brand,” concluded Khandelwal.

 

There is new normal that is going to be achieved, particularly for the restaurant chains going forward as they sort of get used to the lockdown, unlock and re-lock. We are going to see a lot of disruption in the supply chain sector that is going to happen. The supply chain wasn’t able to cope up the way we have always been used to. Going forward what would be the future of supply chain and how would the restaurateurs plan themselves in order to be keep servicing their customer is a big question.

There are few trends that we saw emerging the food service sector that will also affect the supply chain industry one being the consumption of plant based meat because there was less use of labour in the factory verses meat based products where there is far more human interaction involved. Therefore, vendors must be in better position to supply us the plant based meat going forward and that may get visible in the menus of the restaurants. Frozen will be going to become the new fresh while we like it or not, we are going to see lots of frozen foods in our menu. Local sourcing of food will again become a new normal. We can see more farms to table kind of concepts emerging in top cities. They have always been sort of very difficult because of the entire procurement, middle people but because of the Covid this may find a rebalance. Automation is going to certainly play a big role. The vendors that restaurants will look forward would be the vendors who have got highest level of automation at their factories, operations. And, more importantly consumer behavior is going to change.

Outsource whatever you can:  As restaurants are all gearing up to roll their businesses, they are looking for ways to re-start their business and for them outsourcing came as handy. “The short term practice that we are looking in the middle east is outsource whatever you can, working capital is very important at this point in time,” shared Sandeep Sharma, Head- Procurement & Supply Chain, Domino’s Pizza ( Alamar FoodS) MENAP.

Reducing Wastage: Avoiding over buying, purchasing the ingredient you only need will be of much important post covid era. By reducing wastage at the restaurants, hotel, people can both save money and environment. “My top priority would be whichever ways I can minimize the wastage for my system,” pointed Deepa Prasad, Director- Procurement & Supply chain- South Asia, IPC ( Subway) who also believed that in future restaurants would proceed with eco-friendly packaging rather than the plastic packaging.

Collaborations is way forward: Enforcing relationships for strategic procurement would be the future of supply chain sector. You need to have collaborative partnerships. There is no word called vendor now, the restaurant sector will have to look for partnerships now. The vendor is not going to work now.

Connecting with partners: Joint meeting with partners and re-assuring them of your presence because they also are going through lot of pain and lot of money in the market that they will probably never get will help in a big way and will be biggest trend going forward. So, re-assuring them that even if there is a delay we are there for them.

Speed is the way forward: If you have to get your product right, execute everything and adopt it on time, you will need to do it fast as compared to pre-covid era. Now, it will be all about how fast have you adopted the change and how innovative you are with it. “We need to be agile on it. We can’t rely on someone for a product for months and then wait for it. We will have to get the speed, speed of the idea, execution,” said Sanjay Goyal, VP- Supply Chain Management, Lite Bite Foods for whom partners and speed is very important for smoothly running the business.

Focus on people: We need to focus on our people, employees. We need to take care about them as they are the one because of who our business is running. “Today, it is about cross- utilizing and not letting go the people as they are the most important pillar of the business,” added Kunal Gupta, Director- Supply Chain, Bateel International who is managing over 200 F&B outlets (Bateel café’s and boutiques, Godiva Café’s , Tim Hortons, Coldstone Creamery and Sbarro Pizza) across Middle East and Europe.

Technology is the key: Technology has changed the game of every business during this period. And, it is surely going to be the biggest change maker for the restaurant and food sector. There’s no denying that going forward everyone knows that eCommerce is going to be permanent and we need to change according the trend.

Hygiene and sanitization: “Going forward sanitization, hygiene will become very important where people would like to know about the source of the product. We will have to ensure that the product is sourced, procured and is at the restaurant meeting the complete hygiene and sanitization process,” concluded Nitin Nagrale, Founder, HPMF.

 

At first, it was nothing, some Chinese thing in a place we had never heard of. There were 3 cases in Kerala, very far from us in Delhi. We were in the thick of the food season, scrambling to keep up with the flurry of work, balancing that with the daily hassles of running a business. It crept upon us slowly, the anxiety, the cancellations of parties, shockingly even the Holi parties. And even though Holi wasn't a total shit show, it was still nothing compared to what could have been- earnings enough to tide us over the lean summer months.

And soon it was here, a few cases had emerged in the NCR region. “Retail orders dropped rapidly, permissions for our visits were being withdrawn by worried RWAs and on 17th March, our business was down to 10%,” shared Jyoti Ganapathi of DosaInc that had food trucks parked in residential and corporate hubs. Jyoti and her partner had to make a decision. “A lockdown seemed imminent, and if we remained open and tried to operate the way we usually do, we would only be increasing our expenses. So we decided to shutdown for a period, reassess and start again,” she added though they knew that suspending of services would hurt us immeasurably, but, we figured, it was the responsible thing to do, and to be honest, we thought it would be only for a short while, just enough for the panic to abate.

They called in their staff, explained the situation to them and held their long overdue training sessions and gave them the option of going back to their home towns or staying back (all expenses covered) at the quarters they would provide for them. Most left, a few remained.

“Our instinct was right on the money about a few things-ajunta curfew was announced and soon followed by a nationwide lockdown, which was followed by an inevitable haze of confusion. Our hustle had just begun,” she sighs!

Preservation of stocks

“Before we sent off the staff, we had to deal with our stocks- perishables, dry items, the inventory of packing materials, etc. We preserved every last bit of perishable item by pureeing, pickling, cutting and freezing,” added Jyoti who believed that what could be returned was returned and everything else was counted and stacked up safely. The point was to limit waste so that they wouldn't have to spend to get started again. And to be sure, this effort held them in good stead- “when we did re-open, we had enough and more to take us through the month of lockdown without a penny to be spent on restocking,” she said on a positive note.

Cash-flows

Anyone who knows anything real about the food business will know that the margins are wafer thin and cash-flows are always tight, in good times and in bad. “We had suspended our service midway through the month and without a whole month's income and with nothing forthcoming for the foreseeable future, we were staring at an abyss,” shared Jyoti whose current cash flows and even their reserves couldn't cover the fixed cost, the vendor payments or the payroll cost. “So my partner and I did a quick back-of-an-envelope calculation on how much was needed- what was owed and the reserve needed if we wanted to operate at a basic level till demand picked up again. We spoke with our vendors, our landlords. We bought time, renegotiated rates. Conserving cash was a priority, so we applied for the moratorium offered by the banks on our loans. None of this was enough. So we shamelessly tapped into our network of friends and family and requested and accepted any amount of donations to help us through this crisis. We created a fund and now we had to juggle cash flows and keep ourselves alive,” she further said.

Tentative start

Once it became clear that food delivery was permitted as an essential service, DosaInc planned to start up again. Thankfully a skeletal crew of a cashier, couple of chefs and a few assistants had stayed back. It was enough to begin with for them.

First stop though was to serve the society and the community they lived in. They prepared, packed, and contributed meals for the migrants in their neighborhood. “We offered what we could and we partnered with the local area leaders. Our kitchen was "officially" open, in all senses of the word,” commented Jyoti.

But they couldn't do what they used to. As a food truck, they would go into gated communities, park, take orders, serve and deliver. All gated and non-gated communities were fortresses now. No RWA or facility management service would even consider letting them in. So their start was tentative. Thus, they decided to cook and deliver from their base kitchen directly to as far as they could reach on a cycle, delivering to the customers at their gates. “We messaged our customers and got started,” she asserted.

“People are scared- of the disease, for their jobs, of the food even. They are cautious and tight fisted. So demand has been low. We received many calls, even from our regular customers, asking us how the food was being prepared, packed and delivered, only to change their minds midway out of fear. This was a luxury they could do without. But we soldiered on because if we didn't, we become irrelevant and we are forgotten and soon dead. Dead, we were determined not to be,” she pointed in a low tone.

Survival is the name of the game

They threw everything at the wall to see what sticks. They noticed that packaged items like chips, biscuits, namkeens were flying off the shelves. So they got started on those items in their kitchen- the South Indian variety. “It was something we had been working on, but hadn't launched it in a big way. The time, it seemed, had come, so we did. We launched our packaged snacks, to be made to order and delivered,” she said as she found something to sail through during this hard time.

The gambit is working as far as they can tell- the items are flying off their shelves as well and so is the rest of the fresh food, piggy backed on these products, which means orders of idly and vada along with muruku and mixture. Even with everything they have done, it is still a fraction of what they used to do and each day is still a struggle, but now they have gone from planning day to day to planning for a week ahead. It is not much, but it is something. Most importantly it is a step forward.

“This time, and god knows we have had a lot of it to spare, has given us an opportunity to think a lot about our strengths and weaknesses, but mostly our strengths. It is teaching us to find ways to use our strengths to our advantage. We have a database of over 50,000 customers. A database we built over the years because we owned our orders and continued to control the supply chain even after everyone and their grandmother had moved to delivery platforms. These are customers who have eaten our food, 60% of whom have done so repeatedly. Yes many are scared, but many still trust us and are willing to give us a chance,” she added further.

Even as they were growing their food truck business, they continued to innovate, working on an alternate product line with the idea that this could be something more they could offer their customers and get it to them using the supply chain they had developed.

“We spent a lot of time developing our human capital. We identified and built on our employees' interests and abilities and gave them opportunities to grow within our system. This is why we have a team that is cross-trained. Our chefs can make idly, vada and dosa and they can also make ladoos and mysorepak. Ourcashier can also drive a truck and our trucks,which are now instrumental in delivering, free of any hindrance, our food across NCR. It is not always obvious what we need to do, and the post covid world will be a different place altogether, a moving target, but we are scrappy, lean and hungry.We hustle, and that's all we got,” she concluded.

 

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The current pandemic might have caught the nation all off-guard and resulted in a lockdown, but it has also been resulting in people making conscious and healthy choices while buying daily essentials for their consumption, giving rise to the frozen food sector.

According to the latest report by IMARC, the frozen food industry in India is spreading its wings by the passing day and expected to expand at a CAGR of around 17% during 2019-2024.

Even after the slump faced by the nation economically, the frozen food sector has been seeing an upward spiral, growing by the passing day as people grow health conscious. With the increased business and frozen food consumption amongst people, it’s only wise for the trade associations of packaged food to come together to acknowledge people’s preferences and cater to them accordingly. “Frozen food is safe and healthy for one to consume as it has a longer shelf life, ranging between 3-18 months, depending on the product,” shared Manjunath MS, Consultant, Cold-chain Consulting by adding that the food security of poultry products is essential due to seasonal imbalance that can deteriorate the quality of the product, thus making it imperative for us to choose apt techniques to process, store and supply frozen meat. “It is necessary for us to maintain its nutritive values and freshness and hence adopting appropriate food storage techniques. Also, along with taking care of its cold chain supply, it is highly recommended to thaw the frozen food rightly before consumption, irrespective of the season,” he added.

Also, there is lots of focus on how the traders around us are taking appropriate measures and maintaining high hygiene and quality standards. The industry leaders are not only storing the frozen meat rightly but also transporting it via the cold supply chain after screening and passing various tests. 

The experts also shared about frozen food preservation techniques and how the nutritive quotient is maintained without being affected by the external factors due to a controlled temperature and environment. Discussing the refrigeration systems and other methods such as thermal insulation, the experts were observed elaborating on different techniques to maintain the desired temperature until the meat was delivered to the patrons’ doorstep and how people could thaw it in an appropriate manner for best consumption. 

“Efficient transportation of frozen meat and its refrigeration is bound to maintain its freshness and keep it safe from any sorts of contamination. Smaller trucks and vans used for last-mile delivery of frozen meat (which is to be distributed at the retail stores) have an insulation box to maintain the cooling temperature of the contents inside. The measures including monitoring the right techniques to load the frozen food, parking the truck/van in share, to pre-cooling the refrigerated container at the desired set point and loading the units from a properly refrigerated loading bay further help in reducing the loading time along with keeping the units in a good condition,” said Harshal Surange, Chief Consultant, ACR Project Consultants. 

Earlier, the high costs of processed food items posed a major challenge for the sector to grow. However, with the rise in health-conscious and self-aware people in society, has entirely transformed the face of the industry. People have started preferring quality over higher costs and the traders are also taking utmost care of the involved processes and monitoring of the frozen food to the best of their capabilities.

Indian Frozen food market is expected to be growing at 17% between 2019-2024 as per CAGR. While the sector sees potential for growth, supply chain measures if maintained well will see an exponential rise by having the right contingency plan, best loading practices, trained and qualified professionals and transport management software. The temperature-sensitive products are transported cautiously as the supply chain uses different packaging and shipment measures to maintain their freshness and prevent them from losing their nutritional values. 

The cold chain supply in India was at a nascent stage until now, however, with the change in consumer buying patterns and health choices, it is growing well by the passing day. Encouraging healthy food, the industry is yet to upend. The enhanced processes and high standards of trade will eventually contribute to the growth of the country, making India be competitive internationally and looking forward to becoming a healthier, successful nation.

 

 

Food business has taken a new turn during the lockdown.  There is no denying that dining out has evolved over decades, while the physical dining experience may vary, one thing is for sure: Indians love dining out! 

As stay-at-home measures continue to be enforced and summer approaches, people just cannot wait for restaurants to re-open. While it’s still early to say what the post COVID world will look like, Dineout conducted a survey to get in-depth insights into diner sentiments.

According to the survey, 96.2 % people would prefer to be seated immediately at their pre-reserved seat to avoid standing in a queue and to maintain social distancing/ avoid the crowd once we are done with this lockdown.

The survey was conducted across 1 Mn people from India, with the majority being from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and more.

The respondents belonged to the age group 18-65 years, and the majority falling under the age bracket of 25-35 years.

“Bangalore, the Garden City, can’t wait to party hard,” said the survey which was done mostly among students, employees from the private, public and self-employed sector.

Also, only 3.8 per cent people would Walk-in and wait in a queue for their turn to eat at their favourite joint with people on an average willing to spend INR 500 - 1500 on a restaurant bill.

Ordering via QR Code will be on Rise

Most customers would prefer scanning a QR code through their phone and order via a digital menu and also use card and digital payments.

“80.8% of people would prefer to Scan a QR code on their phone & order through the restaurant’s digital menu to avoid high-touch elements like a paper menu or restaurant tablets,” added the Dineout report.

 

Restaurants across globe has been facing a tough time during the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier, all restaurants have announced to shut their shops till the lockdown but this extension is creating a bitter scene for the restaurant owners as they are unable to have the cash flows.

Yesterday, we came across the closure of much loved café Le15 by Pooja Dhingra to permanently close in Colaba. I think Pooja Dhingra became one of the first chef and restaurateur to feel the heat that the novel coronavirus has brought to the sector.

"These are uncertain times and everyone has to look at the vision of their companies to decide the road ahead. Unfortunately for us, that meant to cut down our overheads to ensure we can keep the dessert business going. The challenges we predicted were low walk-ins, high rentals and the onset of the monsoon and a general slow-down of business," shared Pooja Dhingra, owner, Le15.

Restaurateurs all over the country are suffering from the lockdown fever- their business and their health. Some have been getting panic attacks in the middle of the night. Most fear that if this crisis doesn’t end soon, they will not be able to pay out salaries for April and May.

“Alot of damage is already done to the hospitality industry, business have come to a standstill and revenues have already hit rock bottom with this new extension, besides the revenue of the industry, employment is also jeopardized. The industry will be heading towards a collapse which will be really difficult to revive,” said Taarun V Jain, Owner, Legend Group.

Though, the industry has asked for many reliefs from the govt as it sees the employment of close to 7.3 million people at risk, there is no positive response as yet. "The Hospitality industry is going through a major challenge and it requests the government to take the steps to help the sector. The extension of lockdown and suspension to our services further impacts our cash flow significantly. Bigger worry for the sector is how long it would take to recover. It would be really difficult to sustain in this crisis period,” pointed Arjun Suri, Owner at All Time Meal.

Commenting on the same Rachit Goel, Owner, Oriental.inc added, “The Hospitality Industry has been the worst hit due to the COVID 19 Pandemic. Businesses of the sector have come to standstill and it has become impossible to maintain full salaries of workers. If there will be no cash flows in the sector for months, the clock also needs to be stopped for cash outflows.”

Hence, we can say that we need to restructure the industry and support from the investors and Govt can be helpful for the survival of the existing restaurant business. Although, every year we see new restaurants opening up but this year would be more about saving the existing ones.

 

Macaron queen Pooja Dhingra has shut her chic and iconic café in Colaba that was running for last 10 years.

Countrywide lockdown and a lean business has forced the chef to close her café which she started with her friend Pablo Naranjo Agular who moved from Colombia to create the savoury menu for the café.

“Deciding to close our Le15 Café in Colaba is the hardest decision I have ever had to make. The night before I decided to do it, I couldn’t sleep. I don’t think I’ve cried as much as I have in the past week. Flashes of how I have built it keep coming to my mind,” she shared in a letter.

Le15 has become the first major victim of the impact that the novel coronavirus pandemic has had on the jittery F&B industry in the country.

"These are uncertain times and everyone has to look at the vision of their companies to decide the road ahead. Unfortunately for us, that meant to cut down our overheads to ensure we can keep the dessert business going. The challenges we predicted were low walk-ins, high rentals and the onset of the monsoon and a general slow-down of business," shared Dhingra.

The café has been profitable for three years while the company has been profitable for six months.

"What will change is how people dine out, and the emergence of social distancing that means reducing covers and higher deliveries," she added as her Le15 cafe at Lower Parel and Bandra will function as usual when the lockdown ends.

A graduate from Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, Pooja has grown in a family of restaurateurs and chocolate lovers. Her father and brother own a Mexican restaurant and her mother is into a chocolate business.