Food Made Good Global has recently organised a webinar about how restaurants and F&B establishments can start considering delivery options and what the best practices are before considering starting delivery if you already haven’t done so.
While the webinar is mainly from a UK context, there are some valuable insights that can be used for delivery universally to help make it safe and effective.
Here are some key takeaways from this webinar:
Andrew Stephen, CEO of SRA, has mentioned that the foodservice industry is currently facing the following uncertainties:
- Not knowing when services will re-open and how much notice they will be given by the Government
- Not knowing how much longer the Government’s support would continue in the shape of the Job Retention Scheme
- How to help manage cashflow and the gap in income
Before performing deliveries, you must consider the following:
1. Key things to consider for businesses new to delivery:
- Delivery method – either going solo or signing up with an aggregator
- Staffing levels – calculate how big a team you need
- Menu – find your USP, tailor it to margin-rich food that transports well and consider how you can encourage customers to order more
- How can you get food from your site to customers with as little contact as possible
- Remember speed is of the essence so quick to make dishes are king
- Assess the situation every day – what is working and what is not
2. Creating a USP (Unique selling proposition) – Create a product that customers would like to buy as an indulgence and cannot get every day that also has good margins, such as wood-fired pizzas and make it unique to your business
3. How to adapt while maintaining hope – Being able to adapt and knowing your customer well is key. Provide delivery products that you know your customers will purchase and adapting by setting up new purchase methods for customers to access, such as e-commerce and online ordering. It is important to maintain your business during this period and having hope that the industry will bounce back.
4. Take into account everything and understand what your costs are in order to cover yourself – Do not create new offerings but adapt dishes to those that travel well, such as pizzas and risottos.
5.Health & Safety – Since converting to delivery is an operational change, risks must be communicated to staff and a timeline for change must be agreed upon. Some key steps should be implemented before jumping in, including:
- Conducting a health & safety audit
- Registering with the local authority (mainly for the UK)
- Review ordering systems – both web and phone
- Communicate allergens information and label food properly
- Forego reusable packaging for the moment
- Ensure drivers practice social distancing
Thank you to our colleague Tom Tanner at Food Made Good Global for the summary on the webinar.
For more info on how to make delivery work for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for help and advice. You can also keep up-to-date through our COVID-19 page.