One of the best investments you could make as a restaurant owner right now would be to get ready for the return of your customers. The closing of most restaurants due to government restrictions will likely be the most significant hurdle most operators will ever face. This will be massive challenge and some won’t survive the uncertainty however there’s one thing I’m certain of; the virus will run its course and these lockdowns will end. When they do will you be ready?
I think we can all agree that the first step is to clean, clean and then clean up. This is mandatory in order to sterilize and prevent transmission but also as a means of investigating the condition of your flooring, décor, equipment, furniture, plumbing, lighting etc. This is an opportunity to stand back and perform a critical assessment of your operation and physical environment.
There are a number of things you can do to be ready for the feeding frenzy:
- Elevate your dining area. When they come back have a reward ready for your customers! Get the list of things you’ve been putting off and attack them. Paint is the cheapest most effective way to beautify and elevate. Remove seasonal décor that’s been hanging around (finally!). Take a critical, fresh look at that back bar and tidy it up, be brutal. Add to, or change your lighting fixtures…this can be a great way to add contrast, drama and visual interest for your regular patrons. Is it time to change the pictures or mirrors on the wall…how long have they been hanging there? Is your dining room still relevant and appropriate for what your restaurant has evolved into? Do you still need that old TV in the corner anymore?
- Washrooms. Fix all the leaky, broken, loose faucets. You don’t need to be a plumber to accomplish this. Paint the walls, fix the broken tiles. Get the urinals and toilets in perfect working order. If you have the money replace the fixtures with more efficient ones, this investment will pay off in less than 24 months after re-opening.
- Furniture. Take every chair and inspect it, tighen all screws/bolts and do some general maintenance. Light scratches can be fixed with a furniture pen. Fix table legs & feet to get rid of that wobble once and for all. Clean and polish wood, seal stone. Same thing for benches and booths; fix ripped cushions and fabric, replace trim or at least wipe down the wood. Get right into the seams of the cushions to check for nasty surprises
- Signage. Does it need a fresh coat of paint, or maybe a completely new look. Do the lights still work? If it isn’t a lit sign maybe it’s time to step out of the dark ages and get illuminated!
- Kitchen. Hire a cleaning company to come in and do a deep, thorough clean of every piece of equipment, this should be standard procedure but if you’ve been too busy to get it done now’s the time. Evaluate how useful each piece of kitchen equipment is and decide whether it can be removed or replaced with a modern or more flexible specification.
Operations. Jump on the Zoom app with your leadership group to discuss this list and decide on your priorities. Think about upgrading your technology. Encourage authentic feedback from your trusted employees about the state of your restaurant and how it operates. Consider how customers are greeted, seated and treated!