How Restaurants Can Adapt to Changing Tastes Post-COVID

Diners are coming back to restaurants in droves, but have their tastes changed after a pandemic and so much time spent inside. Not necessarily, but there are some things to keep in mind as you try to lure diners back into your restaurant. Whether it’s offering more healthy dining options or changing up your layout a bit, here’s what you should think about now that we’re entering an era of post-pandemic dining.

Restaurant Business Advice For Unprecedented Times.

Talk About Safety

Some people might still be wary about going out to eat. You can put diners at ease by following the latest safety guidelines. More importantly, let people know that you’re following the latest safety guidelines.

You can mention it with signage on your door or inside of your establishment. You can talk about it on your social media pages. If you’re going above and beyond to keep customers safe, let them know. If someone is on the fence about dining out, knowing that a restaurant isn’t messing around when it comes to safety can be just the thing to convince them to go out.

Spread Out the Tables

Even as social distancing requirements relax, you want to keep everyone comfortable. People are probably not going to want to be right on top of strangers when they dine out. So even if it means less seating space, spreading out your tables or seating parties only at every other booth can make diners feel a lot better.

Make Reservations

If your restaurant didn’t offer the option before, give diners the chance to make reservations. This can make it easier to manage the flow of diners, especially if you’re short-staffed, an issue many restaurants have struggled with in recent months. Don’t turn down more spontaneous diners who just walk in if you can accommodate them, but delivering quality service to everyone inside of your restaurant should be the focus.

Offer Discounts or Deals

Many of us got used to ordering takeout and delivery during the pandemic, but dining out is still great. Some of your customers may need a reminder though, and discounts could be just the thing to get them back at one of your restaurant’s tables. Hopefully these diners will keep coming back even after promotions expire.

Highlight Healthy Menu Items

The pandemic meant a lot of time inside and many months of closed gyms. As a result, some of us have put on a few pounds and don’t want to keep gaining weight now that the world has mostly opened up again. That means that many diners are going to be pickier about what they eat at your restaurant. Many of your customers are going to want healthier options, which may require you to work on your menu a bit. It might take work, but your healthier items could also help you attract new diners too!

If you’re looking for more tips about how to attract diners in a post-pandemic world, visit the Organic Restaurants blog. We’ve been paying close attention to dining trends and have plenty of useful info that restaurant owners can use!