The Great Hospitality Disruption of 2020

The Great Hospitality Disruption of 2020, aka Restaurants Focus On Online Presence and Take Aways to Survive Lockdown.

It’s a bloody tough year to be in any kind of catering business. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, UK restaurateurs are now faced with coming out of another lock down into even more restrictive tier levels, with all the associated staffing stresses, rent pressures and stock wastage that goes with it.

As the ramifications of the pandemic have hammered their way across the UK, we’ve seen some wonderful and heartwarming instances of hospitality business really pulling more than their weight, from over 1800 small enterprises committing to grass-roots scheme Help Out When School’s Out, to even Burger King tweeting that their customers should support their competitors and smaller brands to help keep staff employed.

The thing we’ve noticed the most is that businesses are leaning on at-home offerings to help them weather the storm. There’s been some wonderfully inventive adopters and options that have blossomed. Sure, take away is good, but have you ever had a gourmet menu box delivered? Home kits are a thing, and they’re here to stay. They may have grown out of a need to minimise that aforementioned stock wastage, but there’s clearly an appetite for them (pun intended) as customers seek some semblance of comfort and normality in these strange and interesting times.

Home kit interest is not limited to brands offering involved recipe experiences or convenience concepts like Mindful Chef and the like. We’d argue, even, that familiar and simple comfort foods may have an edge, like burger kits, a la Dirty Bones, or a curry kit or subscription via The Spicery

As well as reallocating their resources to ensure their at-home offering set ups run smoothly, business owners are now having to get to grips with ecommerce platforms, sourcing packaging in a period of high demand, and communicating the changes to their customers through the channels available. Did we mention packaging? Because that in itself is no small thing- ice packs, wrapping, boxes, box linings, and more... all to be sourced under pressure for items to be made with environmentally friendly materials, to be kept in step with branding, and while every other business is trying to source the same thing. 

We should also acknowledge storage space for all the packaging that needs to be bulk ordered for it to be cost effective, space required to store the home kits appropriately before they’re sold, and the construction and production of detailed and easily understood recipe sheets. 

And actually, while we’re breaking things down, take away as an option isn’t just as simple as getting chummy with Deliveroo and the like. To the outside eye, the gig economy is the restaurateurs' friend, but companies like Deliveroo take 30% commission. That’s right, 30%. (You can read a little more on that here)

Readers may not, then, be surprised to learn that some business owners decide to forgo that price gouging and opt to manage the delivery process themselves, deciding that there’s more money to be made without having to pay the commission even if the cover number at the end of the night is slightly lower. Many restaurants may be opting to offer a click and collect hot menu for local customers, which will also require its own logistical organisation.

This takes a lot of organisational power and staff resources- staff which, once taken off furlough (which deserves an article unto itself), will be expensive to maintain compared to lockdown income, meaning these pivot plans must succeed. No pressure. 

Business who learned a lot of the above lessons in lockdown the first time around are now turning their attention to branding, messaging and marketing. Social media for all restaurants, from London to Lancaster and all the others in between, is a vital tool in this battle for customer attention. Understanding how the platforms and audiences differ, how to leverage engagement and create content that is brand worthy, and that keeps customers interested in your products is not easy.

We know that not every business can afford to outsource their social media to experts, even when it is competitively priced- that’s why Trapeze Media is working with local BIDs and offering training in social media essential skills training- to help them support their local businesses.

For more information, email info@trapezemedia.co.uk