by Kip Serfozo
ATLANTA – The pandemic catapulted the food and beverage (F&B) industry into uncharted territory, requiring businesses to conduct operations in new ways. It was either pivot or close. Technological solutions helped many businesses navigate the restrictions and mandates successfully. But the key factor that ultimately drives profits is customer behavior. It dictates operational characteristics that draw the customer to the establishment.
Now that vaccines are available and the pandemic tide seems to be turning, will society go back to pre-COVID behaviors? The reality is that some customers will, but others will never behave the same way again. Have the alternate ways of doing things, the temporary band-aids placed on operations to keep the business afloat, morphed into advances in F&B operations? Should these advances stay, becoming the expected, the norm? What lies ahead for operators post-COVID? Here are some thoughts.
When will we go back to normal dining routines with respect to social distancing? Customers want options and they will support restaurants that meet their desired behaviors. To that end, we will see varied options offered to guests based on the operator/owner’s capabilities and the labor and operational costs involved, not to mention renovation costs if necessary. Some examples are that more private dining will be a growing trend as it will enable customers to return to indoor dining without the proximity of other diners outside of their pod. And we may see more sophisticated air filtration systems implemented into HVAC building systems, in an effort to guarantee “clean air.”
Mobile and modular equipment and facilities will be more popular than they were pre-COVID. Operators liked this type of flexibility in the past because they could move F&B close to customer traffic patterns; now with the social distancing pivot that has taken place in the past year it has become a must in both BOH and FOH operations. Owners like modular construction for the reasons of cost and ease of expanding a facility. The challenge is how to design a flexible facility without it looking “temporary or piecemeal.”
Printed menus and printed anything are indeed history, thanks to COVID. What’s “in” are digital displays and QR access to content. Even in the back of house, all kitchen staff will have KDS (kitchen display systems) which allow for kitchen staff to efficiently prepare orders. Point of sale equipment features all sorts of capabilities and displays are all smaller thanks to new retina display technologies. It’s very easy to position display monitors of all sizes, in ergonomic-friendly locations for staff, shortening the task at hand with better operational efficiency.
To-Go is here to stay! Mobile ordering, delivery and convenient food pickup access will all grow. Delivery via driverless vehicles will be the big growth area. And architects and designers must create convenient pickup zones for pre-orders, to further ensure efficiencies of labor and operations.
But HELP! To-Go food packaging has been left behind in some other era. Will someone please develop something to replace the awesome qualities of Styrofoam? I love Styrofoam. I love it because it is inexpensive, sturdy, and has awesome thermal qualities. But it is terrible for the environment because it can’t be composted. The industry desperately needs containers that have these qualities but can be quickly composted.
Environmental issues, already a hot topic pre-COVID, continue to be hot, even if they took a brief hiatus during the height of the pandemic. Kitchens use more energy per square foot than almost any other area in a building, so it’s smart to focus sustainability efforts in this area. Connected kitchens seem to be the best way to lower carbon footprints in our industry.
Energy usage drops dramatically when all equipment is computer-monitored. Equipment problems that invariably crop up can be addressed quickly. And equipment, lights and HVAC can be adjusted and turned on/off automatically, saving not only the environment but the wallet as well.
Technology, customer habits and industry trends all comingle to offer countless opportunities to re-set the future of F&B. Predictions will become a pillar of the industry or will fade away. Some pre-COVID concepts are worthy of remaining, albeit with new tweaks; others were expiring anyway as advances were made. Exciting times lie ahead, and our industry is poised to celebrate ingenuity and creativity in all aspects of F&B.
Kip Serfozo LEED ID&C AP, WELL AP is design director east at CINI • LITTLE INTERNATIONAL, INC., Atlanta.