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R E S TAU R A N TP L AY B O O K

OPENF O R B U S I N E S S

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While we have zero idea how long Covid-19 will keep us quarantined, we do know that it will be followed by long hugs and long meals together. Refusing to allow this situation to define us is how we emerge out of chaos stronger and better than ever. While it’s impossible for nearly anyone to be unaffected by this situation, we still define ourselves.

Even in the hard times the restaurant industry finds itself now, there are positive reflections we can all take heart in. From really perfecting your delivery and to go skills for the future, to rethinking your core brand values, to connecting with your local community, this experience doesn’t have to base itself in fear. These small rays of light will guide restaurants to innovation and progress.

Norton is a full-service creative shop specializing in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

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OUR TEAM OF CREATIVES BELIEVES THAT THE COMEBACK IS ALWAYS STRONGER THAN THE SETBACK.

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THE BEST TOOL YOU HAVE DURING THIS UNPRECEDENTED TIME IS

SOUND BUT FLEXIBLE STRATEGY

BE READY TO SHIFT ON A DIME AND KEEP CALM FOR YOUR SAKE

AND YOUR TEAM’S SAKE

We don’t need to explain to you the utter chaos that Covid-19 has brought to the restaurant industry. As millions of industry workers apply for unemployment and many beloved small businesses are unable to pay their rent, now is the time for a custom plan that works uniquely for your restaurant.

The best tool you have during this unprecedented time is sound but flexible strategy. Be ready to shift on a dime and keep calm for your sake and your team’s sake. Even as restaurants are allowed to open 25% dine-in capacity today, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow or a month from now. No matter what you decide, keep those carryout and delivery orders trucking.

We hope this simple, yet thorough, guide will help your restaurant navigate the murky waters of the effects of Covid-19. This situation rapidly changes daily, so we offer this information with the best of knowledge we have today. Although there is no “correct” answer to how to perfectly react to a pandemic, we believe that prioritizing the health and safety of your community is always the right answer.

TH E CU RRE NT STATE OF RE STAU R ANT S

HOW TO ME ET AND

EXCEED GUESTEXPECTATIONS

REQUIRE ALL EMPLOYEES

PASS A HEALTH CHECK OR

COMPLETE A HEALTH SURVEY

PRIOR TO EACH SHIFT.

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COMPLY ALL INDOOR AND

OUTDOOR SEATING OPTIONS

WITH THE APPROPRIATE SOCIAL

DISTANCING GUIDELINES.

MAKE HAND SANITIZER OR

HAND WASHING STATIONS

AVAILABLE TO ALL CUSTOMERS

AND EMPLOYEES.

CLEAN AND SANITIZE

COMMON AREAS

AND SURFACES

REGULARLY.

CLEAN AND

SANITIZE EACH

DINING AREA

AFTER EVERY USE.

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PLACE SETTINGS, UTENSILS,

MENUS, AND CONDIMENTS WILL

EITHER BE SINGLE-USE OR WILL

BE CLEANED AND SANITIZED

AFTER EVERY USE.

ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS

MAINTAIN AT LEAST 6 FEET DISTANCE

APART FROM OTHER PARTIES AT ALL

TIMES, INCLUDING WHILE WAITING

TO BE SEATED IN THE RESTAURANT.

POST OFFICIAL GUIDELINES

AT ENTRANCES SO EVERYONE

UNDERSTANDS THE STEPS WE

MUST ALL TAKE TO KEEP OUR

COMMUNITIES SAFE.

CONTINUE TO BE A LEADER IN SAFE

SANITATION PRACTICES WITH ALL

TEAM MEMBERS CERTIFIED IN SAFE

FOOD HANDLING AND A CERTIFIED

MANAGER ON EVERY SHIFT.

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HOW TO E XCE E D

HYGIENEEXPECTATIONS

GO CASHLESS AND

PRESS INFO ON POS

SCREEN FOR GUESTS.

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GENERATE A QR CODE TO

LINK TO AN ONLINE MENU

TO AVOID PAPER MENUS.

PRINT SINGLE-USE

MENUS FOR GUESTS TO

USE AND DISCARD.

PLACE A HAND

SANITIZER BOTTLE

ON EVERY TABLE.

CONSIDER REMOVING

ANY BUFFETS AND “SERVE

YOURSELF” STATIONS.

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UPDATE YOUR

WEBSITE TO INCLUDE

GUIDELINES AND

SANITIZATION

INFORMATION.

PROVIDE CONDIMENTS

ONLY UPON REQUEST.

BE SURE TO ASK

GUESTS IF THEY NEED

ANYTHING!

PLACE A GREETER WITH

A MASK AT THE DOOR

TO EDUCATE AND

COMFORT THE GUEST

UPON ARRIVAL.

RESTRICT NUMBER OF

GUESTS TO A SMALL

GROUP NUMBER AND

ASSIGN A SPECIFIC

SERVER FOR THEIR VISIT.

SHARE SOCIAL POSTS AND

EBLASTS COMMUNICATING

YOUR SANITIZATION AND

SAFETY STANDARDS TO

YOUR GUEST.

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CREATE CONTACTLESS PAYMENT

STATIONS, WHETHER A SERVICE

LINE OR DINING TABLE UNITS,

USING PAYMENT APPS VIA

CUSTOMER’S OWN PHONE.

IMPLEMENT HAND SANITIZER STATIONS

THROUGHOUT THE DINING ROOM

AND/OR AT ALL DINING TABLES: ENTRY,

RESTROOMS & RESTROOM VESTIBULE

DOOR, PATIO DOOR, BEVERAGE/

CONDIMENT/PICK-UP STATIONS.

REQUIRE ALL EMPLOYEES TO

WEAR A MASK, AND ALL PATRONS TO WEAR A

MASK UNTIL SEATED AT A TABLE AND EATING.

THEN ASK PATRONS TO RESUME WEARING A

MASK ONCE THEY’VE COMPLETED EATING AND

ARE LEAVING THE BISTROS.

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B E ST PR AC TICE S

CARRYOUTAND DELIVERY

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BRAND YOUR PACKAGINGThink of carryout and delivery packaging as your brand’s billboard that lives in someone’s home for a moment. Say goodbye to sad, plain plastic bags and invest in freshening up the face of your delivery!

GROCERY KITS & FAMILY MEALSRestaurant brands are rapidly shifting to the needs of the consumer, and right now the consumer needs goods. Whether it’s adding a roll of toilet paper to their order or creating quarantine-style kits, find innovative solution for guests’ needs.

CATER TO THEIR NEEDSA little kindness goes a long way! Whether it’s throwing in a bounceback offer to every carryout bag or adding a free menu item to their meal, considerate actions will be recognized.

FRESH DIGITAL STRATEGYRight now, every restaurant’s home pageshould quickly inform the guest about their carryout and delivery options. That includes a CTA on how to directly place an order.

GETTING SOCIALIs your social presence working hard enough to let users know what you offer and how they can get your food? Engaging with guests and responding to their comments is a great way to stay on the pulse of how your current strategy is working (or not working).

INTE RNAL AND

EXTERNALCOMMUNICATION

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YOU’RE VALUED.Keep morale high. Now is the time to let your team know their value!

TALK IT OUT.Establish solidarity to support an honest, shame-free relationship. Of course, no one wants Big Brother constantly checking in on them, but ask the hard questions in an open communication style to get honest answers. How’s the health of their partner? Are they going out? Let your team know they’ll never be penalized for their honesty.

HEALTH MATTERS.Implement regular temperature checks with contactless thermometers. Sending someone home for the day is far better than having to later cease operations.

MEET VIRTUALLY.Use Zoom for conversations that don’t require being in the restaurant. Whether it’s checking in on inventory or a financial issue, reserve those conversations to take at home to maintain as much social distancing as possible.

HERE FOR YOU.Find creative ways to support your team. Whether it’s educating them on helpful ways to stay healthy during this time or a $25 gift card here and there, these gestures go a long way during a pandemic.

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WELCOME!Welcome your guests back in with a smile and a thorough, but relaxed atmosphere. Do not allow fear to drive your sanitization communication.

UPDATE, UPDATE!Social, eblasts, and your website are your best advocates. Update these as often as you can and be as thorough as you can. Overcommunicating does not exist.

UNCERTAINTY.Be prepared for any scenario that might come up. That could be a guest or team member getting Covid-19, deciding to reopen, or needing to close for a limited time. Uncertainty is the name of the game in 2020.

COMMENTS?Stay updated on what guests are saying about their thoughts on reopening or your carryout practices. That could be comments on Instagram or verbal conversations between guests and servers.

RESPONSE.Prepare a solid server statement for your team to use when asked tough questions about how your restaurant is responding to the coronavirus.Create a poster for front-of-house that communicates staff requirements.

E X TE RN AL COMMU N IC ATIO N

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[ A TE A M M E M B E R WH O H A S COV I D -19 ]

In times like these, we believe full transparency is always the correct approach. We are so sad to announce that one of our valued team members has tested positive for COVID-19. Our Guest Relations team is currently reaching out to everyone who has dined in the last 14 days to let them know they may have come into contact with this team member. The restaurant is closed indefinitely for deep sanitization and the full team is in self-isolation and being tested. At the moment no other team members are experiencing symptoms but as soon as we have more information, we will share it here.

In the meantime, if you have any queries please contact us via <insert email> and we will do our best to answer them. Our thoughts are with our teammate who is currently receiving care from some of the incredible healthcare workers our city is so fortunate to have. We wish everyone who has been directly affected by this devastating virus a speedy recovery and we look forward to happier times for all of us.

[ R E- O PE N I N G A N N O U N CE M E NT ]

We are so excited to invite you back into our dining room, starting <date> at <address>! Please know that our entire team is fully committed to going above and beyond with all social distancing and sanitization processes to keep you safe. We are not only meeting but exceeding every expectation brought to us by the <insert guidelines title>. If you have any questions at all about any of our practices, please feel free to contact us at <email> or give us a call at <number>.

SAMPLE RESPONSES

HOW THIS FORE VE R CHANG E S

THE SERVICEINDUSTRY

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DINING ROOM FOOTPRINT

Since more guests are conditioned to get to-go and delivery orders, do you need to pay as much rent as you

do? This could be a great time to downscale the footprint of

your business to a size that fills up every night.

GRAB & GO OPTIONSConsider designating a smaller section of your restaurant to serve as a quick carryout option for your guests, offering main dishes and quarts and pints of sides. This way guests can easily pick up a cold or heat-up

meal on their way home to or from work.

DELIVERY, TAKE-OUT& CURBSIDE

Any brand that doesn’thave a system implemented,

should want one. A brand that has a sub-par one,

should want to improve their system. These will vary case

by case, brand by brand.

ALCOHOL DELIVERYThe genie is officially out of the bottle. Although we don’t know

if this ruling will remain after this all ends, we do know consumers will NOT want to surrender the

right to enjoy a restaurant-made margarita at home.

FOCUS ON CONVENIENCE These processes need to be

streamlined and optimized for success as guests will be used to a higher

caliber of to-go and delivery processes as the restaurant industry has stepped

up its game across the board.

THE FUTURE OFFINE DINING

As other QSR locations will be forced to rapidly adapt

the to-go expertise forever, fine dining remains more uncertain. There may be

some fine dining restaurants who refuse to play into that service because it doesn’t align with their branding.

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IMPORTANCE OF WEB& DIGITAL PRESENCE

The near-constant communication required between restaurants and

guests has been best seen on updated websites

and community-driven social posts. Guests

now have a new level of communication expectation

from restaurants.

PRESENTATIONFACTOR

Since guests are more likely to order carryout or delivery, you have to give them a reason to

eat inside the restaurant instead. Simple services

like getting new silverware with each course or a hot towel go beyond the guests’

expectations.

MORE TRANSPARENCYTO BOH PRODUCTION

Guests will happily wait an extra minute or two for their food

to allow for proper cleanliness procedures. All staff must be washing/sanitizing their hands

regularly and regularly cleaning service areas throughout the day.

WORK / LIFE BALANCEAs guests now see the benefits of

sometimes working from home, this could affect operational hours and the way people “do lunch” during the workday. If people are not in the office for a mass lunch hour,

businesses that rely heavily on the afternoon rush will need to shift focus.

COMMUNICATIONOF CLEANLINESS

STANDARDS & SAFETYAs we transition into

restaurants reopening, the clear communication of your sanitary practices

is non-negotiable. Whether it’s a blurb on

your website or a framed note on the wall, guests

expect to know.

WHOLE ARM OFDELIVERY IN-HOUSE

By making the effort to create a branch of delivery service in your restaurant, you eliminate the aggressive third-party fees

and ensure the food quality matches your standards from kitchen to your guest’s door.

FAMILY BUNDLES & MEAL KITSMany brands can easily

implement family meals or package the ingredients to “build at home”

instead of individual orders. This will speed up production by staff and eliminate the “they did it wrong”

buyback from partner apps.

Although we’re not blind to the devastating effects Covid-19 has had on the restaurant industry, we do see this as a valuable reset time. The opportunities are many for those who choose to see the light in a dark time. “Grow through what you go through” isn’t just something stitched on pillows, it’s how we become better people and stronger businesses. It doesn’t feel like it now, but this will pass. We’ll emerge into a new wave of the restaurant industry, but we believe it will be more compassionate and connected than ever before.

Here are the opportunities we’re seeing during the time of the coronavirus :

STRENGTHEN GUEST RELATIONS This has been a trying time for your business and your guests. Finding ways to respond to their needs (grocery kits, sending meals to healthcare workers, etc.) will resonate and remain in your guest’s memory.

PERFECT DELIVERY & CARRYOUT These services will continue to increase. Even after all this is over, delivery and carryout are here to stay.

ELIMINATE THE EXCESS Address any fluff or excess within your business. Whether it’s your dining room footprint or a bloated menu, where are places you can trim and readdress for maximum profit?

LOOK INTO REBRANDING What an opportunity to evaluate who you are. Does your brand stand for the same thing you did when you first opened? Have priorities and methods shifted enough to warrant a new look into your brand?

THE SILVER LINING

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