6 Creative Ways Restaurants can Survive COVID-19

An unprecedented pandemic calls for out-of-the-box thinking.

Since early March, almost 16,000 restaurants throughout the U.S. have closed for good, new research from Yelp shows. And yes – it’s directly connected to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Restaurants made up the bulk of closed businesses in the review site’s Local Economic Impact Report. And shutdowns throughout the country caused those and an additional 11,000 to temporarily close. But at this rate, how much longer before the others fall victim to the virus too?

This isn’t the time to continue with the old way of doing things. No, now its time to embrace the “new normal.” Hospitality Excellence scoured the Internet to find what restauranteurs and experts around the country have worked on to set the gold standard for getting back on track.

1. Focus on safety and let it be known

Food safety should always be a concern. But now more than ever, guests want to see restaurant staff going above and beyond with cleanliness. Following the latest CDC guidelines on facial coverings, social distancing, and gloves help to ease anxiety and spreading the novel coronavirus.

2. Kick up to-go sales

If your state is only allowing a fraction of your typical occupancy, takeout sales can help fill in missing sales. Running sales to entice more customers can be an effective way to get them interested in dining out. Working with delivery apps like, Uber and PostMates can also draw in customers who’ve never tried your food before.

3. Sell meal and cocktail kits

If you’re going to push more takeout sales, a creative and fun idea is to sell pre-made kits. Odds are your regulars have drinks they go to your restaurant for happy hour for. It can be fun for them to pick up a kit and make their favorite cocktails at home. Customers with families can entertain kids with a meal kit. Let’s say you sell a pasta dish or pizza. Creat pre-made kits and market them as a family activity to do while everyone is trying their best to stay sane while staying home.

4. Offer online cooking lessons

This year, people are spending 20% more time on social media this year due to more time at home. Research from data survey site Statista revealed that nearly 1 in 3 Americans now spend “use social media one to two more hours per day.”

What better way to get your brand out there? A social media user may just scroll and scroll until they see an interesting way to cook a gourmet meal. Take some time to set up a smartphone or laptop with Facebook Live in the kitchen and put on your own cooking show. Walk viewers through step-by-step how you make some of your best dishes on the menu.

5. Host a virtual event

You can set up a virtual tip jar through Venmo on Facebook. If you charge viewers a small fee to watch for a trivia or game night, guests can socialize while social distancing. Everyone can have cocktails and drink from the comfort of home while having a good time with others. It may cost them a few bucks, but it beats streaming the same Netflix series alone again.

6. Give back to the community

When the shutdown first hit a lot of restaurant workers were out of work. With that, a lot of food was going to waste. Keeping your staff paid to help give back to the local community is a good look to the community and helps get rid of food before it goes bad. It can help a lot of people, especially those out-of-work hospitality workers.

.