The Future of Foodservice

Temporary solutions become permanent changes in response to the coronavirus pandemic //

By Liz Barrett Foster

Curbside pick-up, hands-free delivery and family-size entrees have been patchwork solutions to a problem that is not going away any time soon.

The hospitality industry responded swiftly when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March. Restaurant doors were closed across the nation and operators and distributors provided alternate ways to obtain food supplies and meals.

Now, as the country slowly reopens, many restaurants, universities, hospitals, and corporate dining services are choosing to retain temporary fixes as permanent changes. They believe that the measures will help maintain social distancing; create a safe environment for employees and guests, and ensure a reliable revenue stream that can help carry their businesses into the future.

Three days before everything closed, Chef Jenna Arcidiacono (pictured left) and her husband watched the pandemic play out in Italy, and had a feeling it would reach the United States soon. “We took out all of our barstools and most of the tables so everyone was six feet apart,” says Chef Arcidiacono, owner of Amore Trattoria in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “Two days later they told us to close.” The couple devised a plan overnight to create a handwritten menu that changed daily and incorporated what they had on hand.

“We’ll continue to offer curbside pickup and maybe build an enclosed awning off the back for the winter months,” says Arcidiacono. “We’ll also definitely keep the pizza kits, to-go soups and sauces, and take-and-bake lasagna.” She also says Amore Trattoria will continue with curbside pickup and to-go orders for the foreseeable future.

Natale Servino, managing partner of Tiburon, Californiabased Servino Ristorante and sister restaurant Caffe Acri, installed online ordering due to the pandemic, which he says will remain in addition to takeout and delivery. A popular mercato set up during COVID-19 will be kept in place inside Servino, retailing items such as house-made pasta, sauces and pizza kits along with produce, wine, liquor, and household supplies. Caffe Acri’s corner store, just a short walk from Servino, similarly offers baking ingredients, pantry staples and fresh produce inside the cafe.

At TriBecca Allie Cafe in Sardis, Mississippi, new and longtime local customers have been keeping owners Dutch and Becca van Oostendorp busy with curbside pickup orders of pizza, homemade bread and familysize dinners. Becca says that when the restaurant reopens, they will make several changes to protect guests and employees, including changing the business model from a sit-down service model to a fast-casual, order-at-the- counter model. “We’ll be closing our upstairs dining room and no longer allowing tables to seat parties larger than six people,” she says. The restaurant’s outdoor patio is being expanded to accommodate additional al fresco seating, and tabletop cheese and chili flake shakers are being replaced with single-serve packets to minimize the number of touch points.

Chef Brandon LaVielle (pictured far right), CEC, is director of culinary and partner at Lavish Roots, a successful catering business in Burien, Washington, employing more than 200 staff members that, prior to the pandemic, fed workers at busy tech companies. The catering clients who used to request weekly buffets have now been switched over to cold grab-and-go food that does not require reheating. “The revenue isn’t as high as when you provide a fullservice lunch or dinner,” says Chef LaVielle. “But we’re not too proud. We get our heads down. I have a family that relies on me to get the job done.” In addition to changing his business model from catering to grab-n-go, Chef LaVielle says that a month ago, Lavish Roots was in the process of buying a new building to build a state-of-the-art kitchen for catering operations. Now, the new building will feature a takeout window, something that was never in the original plans.

Whether changes are made to your core operation, business model, staffing or everything in between, be mindful of keeping customers and clients in the loop and informed each step of the way.

Liz Barrett Foster is an award-winning business journalist specializing in the restaurant industry. Learn more at lizbarrettfoster.com.

The legality of reopening

The legalities of reopening should be discussed with your attorney and insurance provider before, during and after reopening in order to protect yourself, your employees, your guests and your business. Consider how you might address a claim brought against your business by a guest or employee who say they contracted COVID-19 inside your business.

Attorney Kara M. Maciel, a founding partner of Conn Maciel Carey in Washington, D.C., says that restauranteurs and operators who want to reopen need a COVID-19 prevention plan. “It’s a written plan that describes the practices to prevent employee and customer exposure to COVID-19, including what protective measures are being taken, what protective equipment and work practice controls are being used, what the cleaning and disinfecting procedures are, and what happens if a restaurant employee or a customer becomes sick,” says Maciel.

The risk of not having a prevention plan in place is potential liability from OSHA or the state, according to Maciel, who says her firm is already seeing OSHA complaints on the rise for businesses that are currently open. Additionally, when you put your prevention plan into action, if you choose to enforce requirements such as face masks and temperature checks, ensure that these measures are enforced equally by all staff members.