Providing Hospitality in Your Restaurants Re-Introduction

You want to return as a venue your customer can count on. 

Customers are craving getting out and surrounding themselves with familiar & reliable experiences. They want a chance to let their guard down with a meal or a drink with friends without too much uneasiness.  As hospitality authorities, you are uniquely positioned to provide your customers with what they need. You and your staff will of course to into all the regulations to set the table for people to feel normal (safe, reliable). They need to see that #YouGotThis  

Success will be based on meeting all obstacles in a creative secure way and providing much-needed familiarity

Here are 5 design strategies to help you succeed:

1     R I T U A L I Z E C L E A N L I N E S S T O C R E A T E   C O M F O R T ~

CDC and state guidelines are all over the news. Everyone is aware of the rules and will want to see the safety precautions in action……6’ distance, masks, disinfectants…. It’s not just the health inspector reviewing your cleanliness, it’s every guest coming into your restaurant. Cleanliness, order, and safety provide visual cues which make up a big part of the sub-conscious heavy lifting that will allow your guests to let their guard down and…. relax. 

Be sure to meet every posted regulation in an overt way. Guests will need to see you own the guidelines and are ready to help them venture out of the safety of their homes. (See this helpful article on cleaning) The regulations morph as new data is collected. Please check the CDC Cleanliness guidelines frequently.

•  Go above & beyond your normal gracious service. Kindness and emotional care mean a lot as we step from our homes.

• Add plexiglass shields at the open kitchens, guests can still interact with the exhibition staff but with safety.

• Add soap dispensers and trash cans strategically at circulation points. 

• Add automatic or foot clip door openers to help the customer feel in control.

• Consider creating new Hospitality rituals at key touch points:

• Make a one-point concierge service; the same person who greets the guests at the door, seats them, takes their order and brings out the food. This can be the same person that collects mandated contact information (if required). 

• Greet guests at the door with a high-quality hand-washing linen and atomizer spray for sanitizer.

• As guests go to their table, let everyone sanitize together, using the atomizer….all get to a participate in the cleansing.

2   C R E A T E A N A T M O S P H E R E O F S A F E T Y ~

This is the opportunity to circle back to the basics of human desire for security. Think of 6’ social distancing as a chance to positively influence a space.

• Re-arrange your tables.  Just removing a table here and there will leave empty areas making your restaurant feel gutted.  Creating a new layout where things are 6’ apart but also purposeful and orderly will minimize a feeling of emptiness.

• Switch out large tables to 5, 4 or 2 tops, intentionally forming different seating zones. Long community tables can separate dinner parties at opposite ends with a centerpiece on the table to keep people at a distance and also add some ambience.

• Use banquettes as a cozy bench for a couple to sit on one side together, facing out towards a view of the restaurant

• Remember LIGHTING. As you move tables, re-aim your lighting to focus on the new arrangement. The new table arrangement will look more intentional and integrated.

• Create intimate areas that allow the guests to see their surroundings but have a sense of privacy. You can also decrease proximity and add shielding thru screening between areas.

• Arrange seating groups so customers have their backs to a wall or other screening. This adds a layer of security with their backs against a wall while being able to survey their surroundings. Everyone likes to people watch.

• For ordering consider alternatives that allow for speed of service to a table. A Self order kiosk at the entry would eliminate wandering thru a restaurant and minimize one more person-to-person interaction. Please go to this link, to find out more kiosks strategies.

3      M A K E I T S I G N I F I C A N T F O R T H E C O M M U N I T Y ~

Social distancing has made us more aware of humanity and the desire to help each other. Keep that focus. Make your guest’s experience meaningful and create a higher social value. 

• Support local purveyors. Guests are aware of the economic struggles especially of local small business. Find the local sources and give them a voice in your restaurant .

• Have an even higher consciousness of sustainability.   Showcasing humanity will allow the guest to feel part of something bigger.  Think beyond the food & beverages – 

• Local Artist sourced pottery for plate ware

• Local Artists can bring in new artwork to freshen your walls

• Support local tradesmen to spruce up your atmosphere with a fresh coat of paint, a floor refinish, or furniture touch up.

• Have an even higher consciousness of sustainability. With mandates of single use menus. Think about zero-waste with non-disposable menu alternatives:

•  Try a chalkboard  

• Use grease pen on glass 

• Perhaps a more techie vibe with a QR code

4 H A P P I N E S S & S U R P R I S E ~

Again, customers are taking a leap by visiting your space. By implementing elements of joy, you may distract their anxieties. 

• Dress up the table. Add items - linked to your brand that will soothe the customer. For fine dining maybe try adding a finger dipping bowl (with sanitizer) or fine linen napkin at each place setting  - this could feel decadent and special. 

• For a sports pub, add a sanitizer packet wrapped in a bib that allow the customer to get messy while they eat. 

• Add more to the ambiance

• Add a small local quartet or band,  (They need our help too!). Schedule a group for a night of live music. How unexpected!

• Go back to your local farms, order fresh small tabletop arrangements. Insert them in a vase but leave the to-go wrapping so the customer can take the flowers home.

5 C R E A T E L O Y A L T Y ~

• There is an upside to all the upheaval we’re experiencing— people are more willing to change habits after a major life event. Transitional alterations to your venue that provide stress reduction may pay off with a newfound loyalty. Now is the time to think out of the box for your customers:

• Experiment. A successful street front restaurant has only window seat views. How did they accomplish this? They used a 2x12 x 30” long planks attached at the window sill as 2 top tables. Everyone is equal and all sit at these tiny tables, but everyone is so happy, They have a perfect street-facing, people-watching seat. With our new 6’ apart table guidelines, explore layouts. Try something unique.  Customers… will love it.

• Offer something extra…. serve a “surprise” free appetizer or drink. Get some plush down pillows for your chair seat, add extra candles to each table. When people feel uncertain or in need, they never forget someone who helped. 

• Ask for feedback. One of the best ways to create customer loyalty is to ASK THEM about their experience and then LISTEN AND RESPOND. Many tablet-based POS systems capture customer contact information for follow-up surveys, and if you capture contact information for state regulated contact tracing, you can easily add an opt-in box for feedback and special announcements. 

Lastly, one overall thought, as hospitality people this will come naturally:

Always be your most gracious and hospitable self.  Everyone is in this together. Kindness goes a long way.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call or write me Robert@CipolloneCreative.com. Even if you are working with another architectural designer - it never hurts to get another perspective on how you face the new normal.