States across the country have begun allowing venues to reopen with restrictions in place. At the beginning of June, more states began loosening restrictions on dine-in establishments.

– New South Wales increased the number of dine-in customers permitted to 50 people.
– Queensland permitted venues to have 20 people inside (expanding to 20 in each dining area by 5th June)
– Victoria, the last state to permit dining in, currently allows up to 20 customers at any one time.

These measures of course, all come with physical distancing rules required. While a small number of customers is obviously not ideal, there are ways to make the most out of the current situation. Here are a few ways venue managers can make a go of restricted dining.

Encourage online bookings

Keeping tabs on the amount of people expected at your venue gets a lot easier if you have that information stored. Rather than having hordes of customers gathered waiting for a table, obviously is not ideal at this stage, with a limited number of tables to offer.

The best way to manage tables is by implementing an online table reservation system that allows customers to book a table right from your website.This will allow you to know the status of your tables at all times, while minimising wait times for customers. It’ll also ensure you can maximise your table turnover, which will be key to profiting with limited capacity.

Be transparent with your customers

Customers will have to dine in more limited windows with businesses at reduced capacity. Be sure to remain transparent with your customers and inform them of any time limit you may have for dining. Most customers will be understanding, given the nature of the situation, but it’s important they are made aware before they sit down, so they don’t feel like they’re being kicked out at the end of their meal.

Go contactless wherever possible

We recently reviewed how ordering at the table can make things more convenient and easier for both your customers and your staff. With diners confined to a limited timeframe in your venue, you’ll have to ensure that orders are taken quickly and accurately.

By allowing customers to order directly from their phone, your staff can focus on delivering the best possible dining experience, while minimising contact with patrons.

 

Continue encouraging takeaway and delivery options

Despite venues beginning to reopen, the online food ordering trend isn’t going away. That’s why it’s important to remind customers that they can still enjoy your food from the comfort of their own homes when not dining in your venue. Much like ordering from their table, ordering takeaway food should be easy for customers and will further encourage contactless ordering and payment.

Offering online ordering from your website will ensure customers have the next best option if they aren’t able to book a table. It’ll also ensure you maximise profits from each online order, rather than paying exorbitant third-party fees to outside services.

Final Thought

Hospitality Magazine recently provided a brilliant instructional video with some more tips on operating with limited capacity.

As we slowly push into a sense of normalcy, be sure your venue is equipped with the tools it needs to make the most of every transaction.

__

H&L POS – working with you to help you grow your business
H&L POS has been delivering POS solutions with extensive back of house and staff management systems to the hospitality industry for more than 30 years. As hospitality people at heart, H&L understand the critical requirements for each food and beverage operation. We have staff in every state of Australia providing direction and advice as you grow and as technology changes.
Call us at 1800 778 340, email [email protected] or fill in the form below to discuss your venue’s needs.