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How Cafes, Restaurants and Caterers can adapt during the Coronavirus crisis
If you are in the restaurant, cafe or catering business, the Coronavirus measures in place make for a tough business environment. Most in the industry have adapted quickly with new or enhanced online ordering facilities and delivery mechanisms, but is there more you can do?
Like most businesses, there are things you can be doing now to get you through this restricted trading period, but also there are so many ways you can be preparing for a big relaunch of your business when trade returns to normal. Out-think your competitors now with the aim of thriving later. Perhaps the following list will spark other ideas too, that will see you emerge from the coronavirus trading restrictions stronger than ever before.
Marketing Ideas for Restaurants and Cafes
- Delivery / Online Orders.
- Food boxes – fresh produce deliveries.
- Frozen meals or meal kits.
- Outreach – Call every customer – check in on them and let them know that you have new products and services like delivery etc
- Manage Reviews – ask customers to email a review or leave a review on Facebook or TripAdvisor (Google reviews are suspended due to Covid.)
- Website – update your site, learn how, it helps with getting found in Google.
- SEO – now is the time to learn how to improve your own SEO or hire someone because it takes 3 months to start ranking.
- Cookbook – write a cookbook to self-publish.
- Meal plan – write blog posts to help your customers meal plan with cupboard staples, ideally using your own branded products, meal kits, produce boxes or fresh meals.
- Cook – test new recipes or create a branded product line like rubs, sauces etc.
- Grow – start your own vegetable and herb garden if you don’t already have one and document your successes to use as content on your social media and website.
- Share – now is the time to start sharing expertise. Become a celebrity chef or foodie influencer by building your profile online.
Before we end, let me close off with a quick local case study. I picked up Thai takeaway on Friday night and was surprised that I had to wait longer than usual. I bumped into the owner and during small talk, he mentioned that they are turning over equivalent to 3 sittings on weekends which is one whole sitting more than normal! This is 33.3% UP on normal takings. His investment to achieve this was a leaflet print and drop through three surrounding suburbs. I noted his listings on local delivery websites are up to date too. This just shows that marketing activity can help your business thrive through this pandemic situation.
If you need help online, we are here for you. We can also support you with offline strategies such as brochure Let us help you with a short mini-strategy session for free right now. Just call 0430 809 122.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]