Food is part of our social construct. Eating with others and the interactions had (including with restaurant staff) encompass what dining out has traditionally meant. However, social distancing turned from weeks to months; and to date, we’ve got over a year under our belts. And while things are starting to shape up, contactless meals are still holding strong (and here to stay). We’ll take a look at some creative ways to provide safe and delicious food without the face-to-face contact.
Technology for today
From order to service, much of the dining experience today is a digital and contactless encounter. And because technology has become the face of many operations, careful planning, thought, and resources invested into the digital experience will benefit your entire operation. Think of innovative ways to provide excellent customer service for your restaurant. There's a whole slew of tech that can help. Things like digital and QR ordering options, artificial intelligence utilization of facial recognition for future orders, tableside kiosks or tablets, and touchless payment options are ways to incorporate contactless technology into your operation.
Exceptional dining experiences
Dining at a restaurant is sometimes simply for convenience, but often, it's for entertainment and social interaction (think dinner and a movie, dinner date or dinner theater). We’ve entered a new era that takes some out-of-the-box thinking to provide entertaining experiences. There are traditional contactless dining options such as delivery, drive-thru and curbside pickup. But there are also some enjoyable, less-traditional ideas.
Consider incorporating dining pods or special domes where the entire meal is ordered ahead of time and waiting for each group of guests. Also, think about providing a contactless, dine-in experience. You can accomplish this through smartphone apps that enable tableside, digital ordering (or even with a server via video). Diners get notified when their food is ready to grab from a designated location (such as a food storage locker), and after finishing the meal, payment is easily handled through a touchless format.
The perfect packaging
The type of packaging used for contactless meals matters for many different reasons. And there are some important questions to ask when deciding what your operation will use. Does it hold food well? Will it melt? Is sustainability important to your establishment? What does the packaging relay to customers? Can it be used as a marketing tool?
The main types of packaging available are plastic, styrofoam, paperboard, paper, foil, and molded fiber. Because each kind and brand can work differently, your best bet is to first think about what factors are necessary to operate successfully. Next, what do you want your packaging to convey to your customers? Once establishing those things, ask your vendor if there are sample packages available to test. Try them in your hot holding cabinets or coolers, and fill them with food and test how well they travel (look for spilling, leaking or other concerns). This will give you insight into what works best for your establishment, without the large upfront cost.
Equipment is essential
Airport restaurants in Chicago have robots delivering food to patrons that order meals on their smartphone. And while there are some innovative ideas like that coming down the pike, accessible and smart equipment is currently available to help eateries of all-sophistication levels with contactless service. Some equipment to look into for increased efficiency is cold and warming shelves, hot holding cabinets, cold holding cabinets, food lockers, food display cases and cold and hot food merchandisers. Relying on equipment to help create a safe and enjoyable customer experience is becoming more necessary than ever.
Sweet revenue-building affair.
Contactless dining doesn’t have to be humdrum; it can still be an enjoyable and entertaining adventure for customers and a sweet revenue-building affair for all kinds of operations. Interested in maximizing your grab-and-go opportunities? Take a look at how to incorporate them into your design.
