The captive audiences noncommercial operations once held cleared out in the spring of 2020. Slowly traffic is picking up (or is about to) with a new school year on the horizon and offices welcoming employees back. When polled in April, only 4% of noncommercial operators reported that traffic had returned to at least 70% of pre-pandemic levels. Most operators estimated another 3 to 12 months before they feel they’ll hit that 70% mark.1 The cultural shifts brought on by the pandemic, labor woes, and safety are forcing changes, such as service style, layouts, and menu focus. The segments share many of the same challenges but have called out separate business priorities.
For B&I, increasing traffic is the largest hurdle. The good news is 72% of workers expect to return to the office in some capacity, but the reality is more than half (53%) expect to work from home either full-time or part-time.2 Naturally traffic is stalling due to this shift in work culture, so how do you pull them in? Make days that they go into the office feel special. Separate your offerings from what the normal worker makes in their home kitchen come lunch time. Feature unique sauces in wraps, globally-inspired bowls, or elevated salads that feel like an upgrade from the home fridge. Take a cue from the popular mantra “treat yourself.” Easy-to-grab snacks and sweets that fulfill the pick-me-up occasion are a nice bonus of heading into the office. Consider items like healthful-yet-creamy smoothies, salted caramel chocolate chip cookies, or free freshly-popped, single-serve kettle corn bags. Feeling progressive? Offering a low-alcohol cocktail or mocktail and turning up the music in the dining hall as 5 o’clock approaches is a fun perk at the end of the day.
C&U is also looking to increase traffic. Trendy and authentic foods continue to be a big hit with students and applying some of the before-mentioned B&I tips would likely work in a campus’ favor; but another important factor for the C&U segment is catering to the tech-savvy generation. Embracing technology for connecting with those on campus as well as enabling online ordering will be essential. If you’re not already, look into ghost kitchens on campuses, Boost Ordering, and Grubhub, which is even utilizing delivery robots on some campuses.
K-12 is set on rebuilding staff, so ease in the kitchen is key. Many school programs have pared down their menus in order to decrease work BOH. Focus on a smaller menu of universally-loved kids’ dishes. Find ways to use commodity items paired with mainstream Mexican, Italian, and Chinese flavors to in turn capture sales, make inventory easier, and decrease food waste.
Healthcare including hospitals, long-term care, and senior living are looking to operational efficiency, but are also in need of protecting the vulnerable people they are serving. For now, rearrange dining spaces to accommodate social distancing, but hopefully we can one day return to more communal spaces. Adding grab-and-go options also allows guests and workers to spread out and eat in their own space; however, the convenience provided from these offerings makes them a change in service that is likely to stick around long after the pandemic calms down.
Healthcare is not the only segment that should be focused on safety. All segments have the obligation to make guests feel at ease and keep them as safe as possible. When asked specifically about restaurants in May, 61% of consumers consider “clean and sanitary” a top factor in choosing where to eat.3 This sentiment likely can be translated to non-comm as well. The probability of keeping guests on site for a meal increases if they feel comfortable with the cleanliness. Continue prioritizing safety and sanitation efforts. Start with keeping staff educated with guidance from organizations such as the National Restaurant Association or the FDA. Next, focus on messaging to customers. A sign reading “Masks Optional” sends a very different message than, “Please Keep Your Mask On in Common Areas if Unvaccinated.” Encourage sanitation practices for guests as well. For example, go beyond just placing hand sanitizer stations throughout service or dining areas and enhance them with signage promoting use. A simple “Please Sanitize Your Hands Before Shopping in the Market” creates a direct ask versus a passive suggestion, hopefully increasing the chances that any hands touching door handles, packaging, or keypads have recently been sanitized.
Ease for carryout is also important for most segments. A guest’s choice to eat at their desk or back in their dorm room should be met with options that travel well. Balancing upticks in takeout with sustainability efforts can be challenging, but note what some noncommercial operators are doing to stay as eco-friendly as possible: create a system for returning reusable packaging, provide condiment cups, napkins, and disposable utensils at request only, ditch straws, or switch to earth-friendlier to-go packaging.
Last, but not least, look to versatility of products to reduce labor and time back of house. Our portfolio is your secret weapon to create a variety of signature dishes with ready-to-use products spanning from time-tested classics to globally-inspired profiles. For more on how we can help your noncommercial business, explore our Channels page. We’re eager to help you with your business needs while delighting your customers.
SOURCES:
1Technomic, How Noncommercial Recovers Post-COVID-19, June 2021.
2Technomic, Key Takeaways from FSPP, June 2021.
3Datassential, Covid-19 Report 54: Turning the Corner, June 2021.
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