A new reality facing restaurant owners worldwide is a dining economy that has been greatly affected by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the respiratory disease COVID-19. The disease first appeared in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and quickly spread across the globe. Nearly 20 million cases have been tracked in over 180 countries by the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 data tracking system as of this publication.

Having been hit by a relatively unknown disease so rapidly, governments quickly shut down many industrial operations in an attempt to prevent the disease from spreading. Among those affected was the financial sector. This was followed by the restaurant industry. Due to the closing of dining rooms, restaurant owners face difficult decisions about staffing, shipping disruptions, and revenue loss due to the loss of diners.  

According to Datassential, the major concern of restaurant owners is the lack of information regarding when operations can resume normal. This has caused uncertainty as to how quarterly revenue numbers will be impacted as the year goes on. More than a few restaurant owners have begun to question their financial stability.

Datassential found that the COVID-19 pandemic has no mercy on the food industry in its March study of 426 restaurant professionals. Almost every style and type of restaurant has been impacted by the closures and decrease in consumer traffic. In some cases, restaurants were ready to offer takeout or curbside delivery, but now they face an unknown future.

Here are some insights from the restaurant owners interviewed:

13% Are very nervous that they will not be able to resume operating. (19% of restaurants, 7% of on-site businesses.)

65% are worried, but still fairly confident they can get through this in one piece. (67 percent in restaurants, 64 percent on-site)

22% feel cautiously optimistic and expect the economy to be stronger than ever. (The split is 14 percent restaurants and 29 percent on-site.)

In light of the fact that 13% of restaurant owners are worried that their operations will cease as a result of COVID-19, the situation becomes even direr. With revenues cut, staff laid off, and margins for viability razor-thin, what can a restaurant owner do to move from the 13% that are cautiously optimistic to the 22% that are confident?

The Answers May Lie In A Change Of Perspective: Getting Creative.  

Restaurant owners can start taking advantage of the new pandemic by shifting their mindset on specific in-house philosophies as well as putting in place a technological system to assist with revenue and overhead costs. economy and scale their business for success.

In this article, we will look at one of those perspectives that restaurant owners must creatively change: substitutions.

Replacement-Averse Approach  

Restaurants that fail ultimately fail 41% in the first year, while the rest often close within three to four years, according to Menu Cover Depot. The inability to get creative with cost-cutting in the pursuit of perfection is cited as a reason for failure.

Choosing a cheaper alternative for the most expensive food or drink in a restaurant seems like culinary malpractice to a restaurant owner who wants only to provide the best product to their customers.

Restaurants often charge consumers for product substitutions for menu items. The idea is not to punish diners – it’s to help provide the extra revenue needed to cover the cost of substitution, about 30 to 35 percent of the market price.

Despite owners’ willingness to offer consumers alternatives, few think about making those substitutions proactively to save money on purchasing budgets. Some restaurateurs may see this as providing sub-optimal service to consumers, which would be contrary to everything they stand for.

Adapting To The New Normal Through Creativity  

In 2020, the covid-19 pandemic caused devastating effects on the restaurant industry. The sector experiences the worst business conditions due to unpredictable lockdowns, mandated closings, a cratered economy, and a limited capacity.

The restaurant industry’s economic toll has been staggering since March 2020, causing food sector sales to fall by about $240 billion. When lockdowns peaked in April 2020, eight million employees were laid off or furloughed.

Most restaurant owners simply close their doors rather than accepting the challenges posed by Covid-19 and streamlining their business. According to Fortune, 110,000 restaurants in the U.S. closed their doors. Check it out!

It will be difficult to bridge the gap and overcome the substantial losses the foodservice sector experienced in 2020 even though restaurant sales will see double-digit growth in 2022. In the U.S., most restaurants that have closed permanently were long-established businesses.

Covid-19 safety protocols were generally followed by most restaurants, which shifted to off-premises foodservice. Outdoor dining areas were also set up, menus were The Outdoor dining areas were streamlined and set up. During the marketing campaign, discounts were offered. This restaurant outlook for 2022 discusses the foodservice industry forecast, operational trends, and food and menu trends. Read on!

Economic and Sales Outlook

In 2022, the restaurant industry’s economy is expected to grow. It will not, however, recover the substantial losses suffered in the Covid-19 pandemic. Total foodservice and restaurant sales were below $240 billion and well below expectations for 2020.

The primary reason for the losses is the decline in restaurant sales, especially in sectors such as arts, entertainment, education, retail, health care, recreation, and lodging.

It is highly unlikely that 72 percent of business owners who closed their restaurants will open another food service business in the future. Despite this, 48% of restaurant owners anticipate staying in business for a few years.

According to Forbes, the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting companies that supply goods to restaurants and foodservice companies. According to Forbes, most companies in the supply chain business expect their returns on investment (ROI) to be lower in 2020 than in 2019. The industry experienced a 30% decrease in returns due to an influx of Covid-10 cases across the country, on-premises capacity restrictions will constrain sales growth in Du2022. The business environment for As more people receives Covid-19 vaccines, restaurants and food services will improve by mid-year.

Consumer Outlook For Restaurants

Having a better product-market fit is the key to flourishing in any business. It is no different in the restaurant industry. If you want to gain a competitive edge, it is crucial to know your customers.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused dramatic changes in customers. Know your customers if you want to gain a competitive edge. and their wants. Businesses and consumers will maintain their off-premise dining habits in 2022, reflecting the trend of Covid-19.

Over 76% of Americans buy food via delivery, restaurants, and drive-thru. In 2022, about 50 percent of adults in the U.S. will eat on-premises. 36% of people plan to eat inside the restaurant, while 25% plan to sit outside.

Although changing your attitude from one of substitution aversion to one of tolerance for changing products may seem trivial, the impact on your revenue can be lifesaving. Small changes over a long period of time can save you valuable budget dollars and protect your margins. When you typically see a 3-5% profit margin, the pandemic likely shaved off a few percentage points, if not your entire profit. Substitutions can help you gain a few percent in profits and make your business more viable by shifting the costs on the front end.

COVID-19 continues to spread, showing no signs of slowing until there are treatments or vaccines that provide enough protection to help economies recover. When that day comes, customers will still need time to feel comfortable returning to restaurants. In order to survive, your restaurant needs to have a creative philosophy and technology.

Simple steps can be taken to develop a flexible mindset. Take steps to increase your ability to change and adapt product offerings by moving to printed menus rather than permanent versions – this will allow you to easily replace a product if needed. Take steps to increase your ability to change and adapt product offerings by moving to printed menus rather than permanent versions – this will allow you to easily replace a product if needed. Making a decision to print menus rather than permanent versions will allow you to change and adapt product offerings more easily in the future. Printing on recycled paper is an eco-friendly choice that will maintain your ability to make changes.

By using technology, restaurant owners can streamline their operations and encourage creativity and flexibility. KEXY has built a pricing tool that helps owners navigate vendors with ease. With KEXY’s price tool, owners and operators can quickly discover the best prices for particular items across a variety of vendors. This capability, combined with a substitution tolerant mindset, can help restaurants move from the 13% of owners fearing permanent closure to the 22% that see their restaurants thrive during the worst economic period in decades.  

As a restaurant owner, your future is in your hands. The pandemic has created quite the obstacle for success, but knowing that this is only a short season of hardship, choosing to move toward tolerance over aversion in many of your purchase and operating procedures can help you gain a competitive edge and thrive. To learn more about KEXY and how their vendor pricing tool can help your business, contact the KEXY team today!