New insights, lessons learnt during covid-19 crisis: How India's top brands are changing their processes, concepts

There is no parallel crisis that we have ever seen for the restaurant sector as covid-19 pandemic. Going online, contactless delivery, QR menu and social distancing are some of the common buzzwords that we are hearing since the country announced Unlock1.0. Despite all of this there are lots of uncertainty and to and fro in the sector that we are witnessing and to overcome this restaurant operators are coming up with ways and tips to overcome the crisis.

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Home catering out of restaurants: “It’s been a little tricky situation for us in Maharashtra. Though, we have been able to put takeaway for 2-3 restaurants here but the numbers aint’t really showing the excitement that we are looking at. The path forward, what we are looking at creating a hybrid model as we along where understand catering business more than the restaurant business till date,’ said Sanjay Vazirani of Food Link Restaurants who also aims at doing a small, little catering from the restaurants itself when it opens. “We are also working on models where we can work on a compact home catering verticals out of our restaurant,” he added.

Menu Optimization: “Like everyone, for us also it is a testing time. Some of the things that we did was working on the Govt SOPs; how do you make sure your employees are safe, the kitchens are safe and the processes have changed. Contactless delivery, the packaging has changed, reduced manpower to maintain social distancing in the premises and the change of processes of how you handover the food to the aggregator and the delivery boys,” added Rashmi Daga, Founder, Freshmenu. Also, a lot of menu changes because Freshmenu is built on single-serve on the go, healthy eating at office and right now the demand is of at home dining. “We are doing lots of menu changes as people are looking at healthier options, people are going for indulgence as in what they can’t make it at home, they are ordering,” she added.

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DIY Cocktails is hitting the bar: For the bar it was important when the lockdown was implemented to have public memories and top of mind recall. It is very difficult when you can’t serve the alcohol and people can’t come to the restaurant. But during this time apart from everyone wanting to be a chef, people wanted to make their own drinks. “We started DIY cocktails where we said, let’s enable everyone to be a bartender within the comfort of your home, your own spirit. It has also kept the brand alive during these difficult times,” shared Ashish Kapur, Restaurateur, Whisky Samba, Kimono at the Chanakya, The Wine Company and Antares Goa.