The pandemic has wreaked havoc across the globe, but if there’s one industry that is suffering more than most, it is the hospitality industry. With restaurants being forced to close their doors for the UK’s third national lockdown, how can you keep your food business going?

Here’s our best advice to business owners in the food industry to continue operations, draw in new customers, and tackle coronavirus-related challenges head-on.

1. Offer Takeout & Delivery Services

Restaurants are unable to open their doors and seat customers at a table, leaving only one option: to offer takeout and delivery services.

If you already offered delivery and takeout services pre-pandemic, then this shift is easy. However, if you have only ever served customers seated in your restaurant, setting up a delivery service can seem like a daunting task. Many venues opt to start by signing up for a delivery service such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo. While they will take a commission from your proceeds, you’ll have instant access to the delivery infrastructure plus a means of reaching customers in the local area with listings on their high-traffic websites.

If you aren’t keen on paying a cut of your takings for delivery, start by first offering takeaway from your shop front. You can always expand to offer delivery at a later date. You’ll need to promote this offering via your own channels such as your social media pages or app.

2. Perfect Your Branding

If you’re going to be offering takeout and delivery services, your branding needs to be on point. Without inviting customers into your restaurant, their entire opinion of your business will be based on your food and the packaging it comes in. As the packaging is the first thing your customers will see, it is just as important as what’s inside.

Personalised packaging is an easy way to boost brand exposure while also adding value to your food business. With everything from printed paper bags for your customers to carry their food home in, to the finer touches such as custom printed cutlery and printed greaseproof paper, your packaging has never been more important.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PackGenie (@packgenie)

3. Be Unique

With nearly every restaurant in the country now offering takeout and delivery services, your offer needs to be unique. You could start by revisiting your menu and seeing if there are any easy changes you can make to inject some life into older dishes.

Another way to help your business stand out is through your packaging. Get creative with how you package your food to make the experience memorable for your customers. If they remember you, they’re more likely to recommend your company to friends and family, as well as order from you again themselves!

Tags: food packaging, eco-friendly packaging, COVID-19, coronavirus