Restaurants During COVID-19
By: Thomas Davila
It has been approximately seven months since COVID-19 stormed the country and forced almost everything to shutdown, including restaurants. Restaurants could not be open unless they were equipped for take-out service. During the months of summer restaurants could be open, but only for outdoor dining. As winter approaches, will they be ready to operate?
Winter is coming and it is noticeably getting cooler as the days go by. Restaurants are scrambling to find a solution to stay in business.
According to an article from CNN titled, "Winter is coming- and restaurants are scrambling":
“Everybody is scared of the winter right now,” said Jason Kaplan, CEO of the New York based restaurant consulting group JK Consulting.
He continues, "Restaurants are still losing money, regardless of delivery and takeout and outdoor dining they are still not being profitable."
That is in New York. What about California?
Some restaurants were closed because they were not equipped for taking to-go orders, nor outside dining. They found a way to open, and now with winter inching closer as the months go by, will they to be forced to cease operations once again? They could operate in a food truck, and make a living that way.
According to Abc 7 Los Angeles coronavirus is not going away anytime soon; therefore many restaurants say that operating in a food truck is the perfect solution to solving the problem. In other words indoor dining will not happen until scientists find a vaccine for coronavirus.
According to Business Insider, "Despite all the doom and gloom, however, we have seen something remarkable: examples of food entrepreneurs actually growing their businesses. There are two things these businesses are doing right now that I believe hold the keys to success.”
They go on to say: “First, they are going mobile to go where the customers are, and second they are creatively incorporating order ahead (not just delivery)."
If the customers cannot go to them, then they go to the customers. Due to coronavirus measures it will keep people outside while ordering their food. If restaurants cannot afford to operate in outdoor dining, then can they afford to operate in a food truck? That would involve leasing or buying a food truck big enough to load everything they need to run their business.
At the same time if restaurants operated in a food truck, where would they go? These food trucks could take orders, drive out to a certain city, stay there and hope they get customers. The cancellation of concerts and music festivals like Coachella and Stagecoach have made business harder for the food industry. Could the owners of these restaurants resort to getting second jobs just to make a living? They would have to get second jobs due to their restaurants is not making enough money to support their families.
Although most businesses are closed for foot traffic, they are hiring. Coronavirus has become a thorn-in-the-sides of a lot of people, especially to those that have contracted it. It is not going anywhere anytime soon, restaurants are forced to adapt with what they are given.