How is the Hospitality Industry Adapting to stay alive?
by James P. Outreach & PR ExecutiveAs bars, pubs, and restaurants reopen
to the new world of social distancing, the hospitality industry is battling to
stay alive.
According to UK Hospitality, revenue
dropped by 87% between April and June of 2020 when compared to
figures in 2019.
The introduction of the UK
Government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme has reignited some consumer
confidence by offering 50% off meals on certain days in August, but the largest
steps taken are those by the businesses themselves. Here’s how businesses are creating
a safe and enjoyable environment and what you need to know on your first
corona-secure night out.
Adapting to keep safe
The biggest change to our
post-lockdown-life has been the introduction of guidelines and precautions that
dictate how we interact with our friends and family, especially those outside
our social bubbles. Hospitality venues across the country have introduced
policies to bar the virus from their establishments.
Social distancing
A time before we were prohibited from
being within two metres of a total stranger seems like a memory of a world
forgotten. If you were the type to enjoy rubbing shoulders at your local Rose
& Crown, then the social distancing experience may appear to disappoint.
However, the measures to separate
social groups have created an innovative approach to the traditional evening
away from home. Bars and restaurants may require you to book a table in advance
of arriving. After this, many venues are offering the opportunity to order your
meals and drinks from the table using websites and mobile applications.
Hand sanitiser
The first alcohol you will encounter
entering any bar will be a large shot of hand sanitiser. You can expect a
variety of types and flavours of this disinfectant – you will almost certainly
find yourself with a list that ranks venues by the quality of their hand gel.
Temperature checks
It’s almost like a classic western standoff:
the moment the trigger is pulled on the contactless thermometer, you feel like
your fate is truly hanging in the balance. If your temperature falls below
the 37.8C mark, you’ve won this time. There is some extra
reassurance knowing that bars and restaurants are excluding people with even
mild coronavirus symptoms.
More for
your money
Saving money is always a bonus when
you’re dining out. At this time, bars and restaurants are competing with the
security of a home-cooked meal. But the benefits of eating out have never been
greater! It’s a welcome escape from the reality of lockdown, you
can save 50% between Monday and Wednesday in August, and it’s almost
certain to taste better than your usual pasta tray bake.
The negatives do hold some ground. Taxis
may not be able to transport a group of more than three people, to support
social distancing, so going out to the restaurant can be a fuss. There’s always
the thought that you could always just make the meal yourself too. Plus, you
can’t be certain that your waiter doesn’t have the coronavirus — it’s an
unfortunate reality. Eating out can become a lottery of personal health, where
the risk is maximised by the enclosed space of a restaurant.
However, the novelty of not having to
cook your own food is a great appeal after months of lockdown. This novelty
does not stretch to the drinks market for pubs and bars. Supermarket drinks
have proved themselves to be a suitable replacement for the excitement of
drinking out. Your friend’s back yard has become your new local. It’s the
perfect beer garden: listen to the music that you have chosen, the beer bucket
has your all-time-favourite beverage, and you won’t have to splash out on that
£10 taxi home.
Of course, the feeling of a fresh
draught on your top lip is irreplaceable. But the adaptations of hospitality
venues have done more than just keep us safe. Mobile applications and
contactless ordering have become the new normal, and in turn, the experience is
more relaxed. No more competing for the waiter’s attention or waiting for the
bill. The future of eating out is all in your hands — quite literally.
A
different experience
Lockdown is not entirely to blame. The
number of pubs has been declining for years, falling from 60,800 pubs
to 47,600 between 2000 and 2018. The decline of the hospitality
industry is not unique, and lockdown is not entirely to blame. The failings of
the cinema industry threatened the livelihood of the humble outlet centre — high
prices and the rise of the pirate copy forced cinema attendance to fall from
its nostalgic plinth of post-war entertainment. However, cinema has seen a
recent resurgence of faith, despite the fierce competition of streaming
services. In 2018 there were 177
million admissions to UK cinemas, a number not matched since 1971.
How has this been achieved? Cinemas
have recognised their strengths and the importance of their service. The rise
of high-quality and serialised films has contributed to their successes. Furthermore,
a real sense of escapism has realised what the streaming service can never
provide. This is something that must be utilised moving on from lockdown. In
addition, cinemas provide services that they have previously not done. Screenings
of live theatre, opera, and
ballet that are often secluded to the London West End are brought to
the local northern cinema house. The films you’ve only seen on the small screen
are brought back to life for limited rereleases, providing a chance for a new
generation to fall in love with the classics of their parents’ or grandparents’
era. The cinema has become a whole new experience.
We must ask how pubs, bars and
restaurants can apply this new way of thinking to drive their future successes.
What can the hospitality industry provide for future generations that they
can’t now do themselves?
Finding a
new strength
Considering the success of cinemas, bars
and restaurants may want to take inspiration from the recent success of the
cinema house and how they have rejuvenated an industry. For instance, the
achievements of streaming services to provide on-demand movies to their
customers is serious competition, but the lack of distractions and a real sense
of escapism that cinemas can provide holds a strong appeal for customers. Similarly,
the affordable price of supermarket drinks creates difficulties for bars and
pubs that provide the same line of beverages.
However, the introduction of drinks
that are not easily accessible from the supermarket has created an appeal for
unique experiences when drinking away from home. The rise of double slush machines is a
significant trend that appeals to the exclusive and quirky demands of the
customer. It is something that is certainly not available in your average home.
For bars, they can be an easy investment, adapting to the repeating drink
trends throughout the year. The use of gin, rum, and non-alcoholic options
appeal to new and interesting flavours and creations of slushie cocktails.
Focusing on gin, the resurgence of the
drink into the mainstream in recent years has been utilised by bars and
restaurants. However, successful venues are now profiting off wellness trends
and the low-to-no beverages that have grown rapidly since 2019. Bars may want
to consider more options for the non-drinking consumer, who may feel more
ostracised in a drinking environment. The venue itself should be a source of
escapism for everyone. Adaptions are needed to show the customer the variety of
unique drinks and options available to them, making the experience more
exclusive than opting to drink at home. It’s a great niche to tap into —
especially at a time when the offering for non-alcoholic drinks is suitably
lacking in the supermarkets.
Lockdown has created problems for
everyone in the hospitality industry, including the customer. But with a new
mindset, approach to unique experiences, and understanding the strengths of
variety, pubs bars and restaurants can come through this with even more success!
Sources:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53558946
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-a-discount-with-the-eat-out-to-help-out-scheme
https://beerandpub.com/statistics/pub-numbers/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41161056
https://www.snowshock.com/product-category/frozen-cocktails/
Sponsor Ads
Created on Aug 18th 2020 10:17. Viewed 424 times.