Buckle up, Guests! We need you along for the ride
“To the ones we love most,”
Dear Esteemed Guests,
Guests, can we talk? And by we, we mean the restaurant industry. First, we want to say thank you for your continued support through what has been the biggest upheaval in our industry in our lifetimes. Thank you for ordering out, thank you for buying our t-shirts and etched glassware, and thank you for enjoying our sometimes soggy fries at home 20 minutes after they were cooked. We truly could not do this without you. Having said that, we are going to need you to buckle up and come along for the ride as we figure out what’s next.
You may have heard an adage once upon a time, that the customer is always right. We’re going to need to file that one away for a while. We want to say plainly that change is needed from all members of the transaction, including you, our beloved guest.
The future of restaurants is currently being cobbled together, and you’re our beta testers. Whether you like it or not, you’re on deck to help us work out the bugs- and there will be bugs. If you love restaurants, we humbly ask that you put your game face on for all the change that’s coming. Log off of Yelp and fasten your seatbelts, it might be a bumpy ride, but we’re in it together.
Here are six ways you can help us make it through to the other side.
“Invocation Number 1”
Tip like it’s 2019.
We’ve heard that you feel like you shouldn’t have to tip since indoor dining is not exactly what it used to be. We need you to keep tipping like you normally would. The energy and expertise it took to create an amazing indoor dining experience for you previously is not gone. It’s been redirected. That energy now focuses on the best way to package food to keep hot items hot and cold things cold, while still looking beautiful and curbing waste. That energy is now redirected at sanitizing every surface every few minutes. That energy is now managing an onslaught of new ordering systems, websites and delivery partners. That energy is awake in bed, thinking of new ways to stay in business. It’s in constant communication with suppliers, guests, employees and local officials. It’s learning new job roles and skills - all in service of you, because we love you. So please show us a little love in return.
“Invocation Number 2”
Let us be transparent
about our prices.
We’ve heard that we should reduce our menu prices. And we need to be honest: we are likely going to have to increase menu prices. Our food costs haven’t changed. If anything, they’ve gone up, since we are ordering in smaller quantities and have fewer economies of scale. Spoilage is harder to predict these days. We give away a lot of food that would have spoiled to our employees for free. Third party delivery is gouging us. All the while, we are trying to take extra good care of our employees by giving them groceries and other assistance. We’d love to explain our thought process to you. Before you succumb to sticker shock, ask us why.
“Invocation Number 3”
Remember, there are people,
experiences, and voices
behind the food.
You may have noticed that it’s an unusual time - politically, socially, culturally, economically. Like you, we are tired of the word “unprecedented”. Honestly, we’re just plain tired. People across the world have been vocal and supportive for causes that are important to them. Restaurants may not be people, but we’re built and run by them. We come to life thanks to the collective soul of the folks we work with. So, let us stand up and advocate for what we believe in. Just like you can. We know we might alienate people, and we’re prepared to take that risk. Restaurants are hubs of culture, community and support. It’s time to stop pretending that we are nothing more than the food that’s on the plate. Our causes are what keeps us going.
“Invocation Number 4”
Re-wire what you think
about fast-casual and quality.
Fast casual, counter service, QSR, whatever you call it, is here to stay. While you’ve long been able to order delicious, quality food from a counter, restaurants are taking it to a new level. So, if you find that you have a false equivalency between seated, served dining and excellence, it’s time to shed that misconception. We’ve proven that we can bring quality and food styling to the next level in a to-go box, and honestly, some of us are loving it. Don’t be surprised if we keep this up longer than we need to. We’ll continue to take care of you, you might just have to pull up your own seat.
“Invocation Number 5”
Please reconsider that Yelp review
- unless it’s 5 stars.
We’ve always had a tumultuous relationship with guests who tell us their meal was wonderful, and turn around and give us a 1-star review. It’s cruel and unusual punishment even in the best of times. But please, don’t kick us while we are down. Talk to us directly.
We want your feedback, especially as we try new, scary things. Help us understand the functionality of our online ordering, give us suggestions for a more seamless pickup. For the love of God, tell us what we’re doing right. What was delicious, what delighted you, what’s working out great? Heaven knows we can use some ego boosts right now.
“Invocation Number 6”
Get excited about what gets us excited.
A silver lining of 2020 is the absolute creativity exhibited by the restaurant industry. Our people have showed up as sold-out pop-ups with lines around the block, home delivered goodies, and kits galore. What started for many as a desperate need to do something, has turned out to be a smashing success that will outlive this pandemic. Businesses have been born, new ideas have been tested, and scrappy, last-ditch efforts turned overnight hits are keeping our spirits high. Get excited with us. It’s fantastic when we sell out our Basque cheesecakes or Jamaican patties ahead of schedule. We’ll be sure to make more for next time!
We are planning for a different restaurant future, knowing there are endless unknowns. We hope that you’ll be our cheerleaders and our beta testers as we try a million new things. We know some will fall hopelessly flat. We hope that you’ll recognize how tumultuous it is to close, open, shift, change, pivot, build and rework. We hope you’ll be supportive and empathetic when we try new types of packaging, wild menu items, touchless everything, quick-service retail, ghost kitchens, web apps, loyalty programs, drones, self-driving vehicles, outdoor pods, chickens as servers. Be champions of what Devita Davison calls the “fractal” work of change - fragmented, multi-directional and incremental. Recognize that we see this as a reckoning, not just for our business models, but for our people, our communities, our livelihoods and a better future for everyone.