Now that the COVID conversation is beginning to include the reopening of our industry, now is the time to plan your comeback!
Operations
Consider how operating at half capacity will impact your menu, seating, team and hospitality. Tips servers and bartenders receive are going to take a huge hit. You will need to address this issue with your service team and decide on a path forward.
What steps will you take to keep your guests, your team, your product and your facility safe? How are you communicating that to your guests?
How are you educating your guests, and your team, on these new operating policies? Say, for example, a guest walks in the door for a beer...what happens next?
What opportunities are there for new revenue streams? Catering? Delivery? Curbside pick-up? Online ordering and payment? Get creative and think out of the box on ways you can drive revenue.
How are you going to connect and engage with guests in this new environment? However important, there is something so sterile and impersonal about a server in a face mask and gloves.
Finances
What are your new sales projections looking like? How does that impact your Income and Cash Flow Statements? You and your key employees need to know where you stand financially and what your goals are.
Do you need to renegotiate your lease and rent? How are your vendor relationships? Do you still have credit?
Did you receive PPP or EIDL funds? If so, how are you using and tracking use of those funds?
How is your financial model changing?
Marketing
What specific story are you telling these days? How are you positioning your brand?
How are educating guests on the safety steps you are taking to keep them, your team, your product and your facility safe?
Is your tone upbeat and fun? People really need a laugh these days!
HR & Team
Teams need someone to lead them out of this crisis. Identify who on your team will assume that role. Will it be you? The owner? The General Manager?
Incorporate transparency into your culture. Be honest with your team regarding the challenges you are facing. Involve them in coming up with solutions.
Make it personal! This is about your team and their well-being, not about your profits or sales.
Meet with your team daily...yes, daily and ask them " What can I do for you?"
Now more than ever, leadership and teamwork will be critical in determining your ability to claw your way out of this mess our industry finds itself in. You can't do it alone so be sure to surround yourself with folks who have the chops to help you pull through this. If there is anything I can do, feel free to reach out.
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