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It’s a tough time to be setting up any business, let alone one that involves people socializing. The restaurant business has taken a bit of a beating of late, with many forced to close their doors due to restrictions placed to stem the spread of the coronavirus. With covid-19 set to be with us for quite some time yet, now may be the best time to get your restaurant ready before you can open fully, once more.
However, with no one able to visit, you might be wondering how exactly you are going to pay for new restaurant equipment. Well, the answer lies in getting back some more custom, so here a 4 ways to (make a profit) that you can use to pay for your shiny new restaurant fittings.
1. Go online.
There’s probably been little room for a website or even a computer in your restaurant until now. Particularly if you prefer the traditional aesthetic, you could very well have gotten by taking reservations over your phone and writing the scheduling down. With reservations currently on hold, the restaurant diary is probably looking a little bare, so it might be time to start a delivery service. To keep it easy for your customers, take the time to move some of your restaurant ordering features online.
If you’re a technophobe, then the first thing you need to do is get comfortable with technology. If you have to, go out and get a new phone. It doesn’t matter if it is an iPhone X or a Galaxy Note; as long as it has internet access and an operating system that supports apps, then you are already halfway there. If that means you have to make the switch from iOS to Android, then so be it. (Admittedly, it’s probably best if you can grab a tablet as well, just so that your team can have access when they need it.)
Next, reach out to web developers and app creators and commission someone to build you a website and some free apps that can be downloaded via Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store. With everyone asked to stay in their homes, you can set up a delivery service through which regular customers can easily order their apps and keep your business in the community consciousness.
2. Reach out into the community.
Again, with everyone asked to stay at home for work and recreation, there is an opportunity for you to go to them. So long as you follow the CDC guidelines for owning a restaurant but keeping covid-19 at bay, there is no harm in advertising your business. Create flyers and deliver them in the local area, or set up a tasting session in residential areas. This, coupled with a new online presence, may drum up a little support that you didn’t have before, as well as remind customers that you are still open.
3. Buy in bulk.
As is the case with foodstuffs and drinks, stock is much cheaper when bought in bulk. Wholesale suppliers for restaurants are on hand to ensure your entire kitchen is decked out with clean, state-of-the-art equipment that you don’t have to break the bank in purchasing. The other good news is that some restaurant supply stores, such as The Restaurant Warehouse, actually allow you to pay on monthly price plans without having to spend so much at once. Even better news, though they usually handle restaurant supplies in Seattle, The Restaurant Warehouse provides ships’ equipment across the United States.
4. Choose preowned for some basics.
Whilst refrigerators, stoves, countertops and most cooking equipment must be clean and sterilized, you can afford to buy some dinnerware and small wares second hand. Plates, cutlery and glasses are cleaned regularly anyway, so you shouldn’t have a problem getting them ready for the grand re-opening. If you need a little more in the way of guidance, Sometimes Daily has compiled a list of need-to-knows regarding restaurant equipment.
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