Big Changes?

The loosening up of our economy is coming closer and closer and many restaurant owners, hotel managers and other leading employees and entrepeneurs in our food industry businesses are preparing, reorganising and planning with extreme precision for a successful reopening of all Restaurants, Cafe’s, Bars, Hotels and Food Businesses.

But a reopening to what? And how?

How will the new “normal” be, how will it look like, is it at all possible to set up and create a new social distancing concept and still keep up with the customers expectations from a pre COVID era and what really are the expectations of our customers and guests in and during this new reopening phase?

Of course for most businesses in general, it’s better to make some revenue as no revenue at all, and the first few weeks customers will visit many reopened premises, because they are all too happy to be able to go out again and mingle, after having been locked up for nearly 8 weeks or more. But on the other hand many of them will still be afraid, angious and suspicious because of the unknown. (the virus is still around) So the overall question will stay, how fast will the industry be able to get back to a new normal, and how will this new normal look like?

Will the industry be able to run a financially successful business, during this reopening period. Fix costs like rent and labor are still proportionally very high when covering all costs and with an expected average decrease of revenue of at least 50% based on less seating due to social distancing measures, the chance of being successful is rather challenging.

So now it’s time to really come up with innovative, healthy, safe, sustainable and local concepts with a very open and transparent approach showcasing that safe and social distancing doesn’t automatically mean cold, sterile, unfriendly or boring.

I'm convinced the industry has had enough time to think about how the future will or should look like and to prepare for a possible reopening, but looking at online advertisements going through all the possible social media channels at this moment in time, it makes me question what all these entrepreneurs have been doing during the last few weeks and months of closure.

The majority of advertisement is exactly similar as to the times before the big closing down. Some additional social distancing adjustments have been added. The offer and food ideas are very identical and only with some seasonal adjustments. Most of these offers are without any clear statement of how the COVID learnings will be implemented or in which way they will approach these offers and how they will be produced, showcased and presented as being the new adjusted food for our future.

Of course Social distancing is a must and very important during the first reopening phase and it has to be put into action according to local authorities guidances, but nobody tells us this has to be done with huge big aggressive lightning signage, floor markings and prohibition signs everywhere. Here we have a great opportunity to be much more creative and to let certain signages flow into the designs of our premises and operations, then all these official signages being put in place everywhere, either create fear or are not really noticed anymore, as they have become too normal to us already. So here creativity is really needed.

Where els is creativity needed?

Looking back into the enormous activity of people around the world during the last 2 months in all possible social media channels, showcasing how proud many of us were in presenting pictures of home made traditional, local, fresh and healthy foods and dishes. Now don't you think these people and possible customers, expect something identical and innovative as well from the real professionals in the food business industry, instead of the same dull offerings, most entrepreneurs are promoting through many social media channels right now.

And what about sustainability, a theme the whole world was talking about in the pre COVID era, these sustainable factors should still be on top of all our minds, on the industry's mind as well as on the customers minds, then for example, food waste is still massively surrounding us and hasn't gone overnight just because our focus might have slightly changed due to the current situation.

So I'm really hoping that local seasonal and traditional ingredients will be the center of the reopening offerings and that all foods will be fresh and homemade, and I mean really homemade, not just made somewhere in a home on the other side of the globe.

I’m looking forward to some safe, delicious, healthy, creative and innovative food ideas in this upcoming reopening phase starting soon, hoping our Food Industry will deliver on its expertise and innovation it’s known for and loved for.

And those entrepeneurs and food businesses that have prepared themselves with innovation, creativity and sustainability will be rewarded with successful businesses in these ever changing and evolving times. Time will tell.