Life of a Food Outlet or Restaurant Owner: Before & After Covid-19 Pandemic
Everyone’s life has changed during the pandemic, including the restaurant outlet owners, grocery store owners, vegetable and fruit mart owners, small scale industry owners, professionals, students, and much more.
For sure, we all are seeking to have the normal back instead of the pandemic ‘new normal’. But do you think it is ever going to be normal anytime soon?
My blog focuses on the life of a food outlet owner or a restaurant owner before and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
We have seen many ups and downs in our lives both emotionally and financially- but we have never experienced the situation where we want to work, we want to earn, we want to pursue our dreams.
Still, we cannot do so because of an urgent health crisis. Health has never become an issue for any of us between failure and success.
Before Covid-19 Restaurant Market
Coronavirus pandemic, the word when was not introduced to the world- life was busy- hectic- super motivated and was moving with a good pace.
These were the days when the restaurant owner’s life was super hectic from morning to late night because customers willing to have their food in the restaurant.
Saturday and Sundays were booked for outside dining and it was the ‘normal’ of our lives. Isn’t it?
Before the Coronavirus pandemic, the food delivery market existed at a medium pace.
Yes, there were people ordering food online, but the joy of dine-in was always more than ordering it online.
Only those people ordered food online, who were either not able to visit a restaurant or had some emergencies.
College students and other people who used to live as the paying guests also ordered food online because they could not have the cooking facility in their apartments or hostels.
In short, before COVID-19 the life of a restaurant owner was busy after hiring more and more resources, managing the waiting at the restaurant, solving inventory and stock issues, helping customers to feel happy at the end of the dinner or date, etc.
Online food delivery was not on the hit list of any restaurant. Yes, it was a part of almost every restaurant in the world, but it was not weighed more than the dine-in option.
After Covid-19 Restaurant Market
When the pandemic hit the different parts of the world, many business owners had to shut down their businesses entirely.
The restaurant and bar owners faced a massive loss because of the lockdown. The restaurant owners generally stock the groceries for the restaurant for 2 months.
Perishable items like dairy and vegetables are only bought daily. Many restaurants also store ice-creams and cold drinks for almost a month in advance.
You can imagine the loss of items stored inside the restaurant because of nearly two months’ complete lockdown announcement.
Let’s talk about the service industries that have hit the hardest because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
If you are under the impression that only the travel industry is hit hardest because of the pandemic, then you are undoubtedly wrong.
The restaurant industry has also hit the hardest. The restaurant owners had to terminate a lot of staff members during the ongoing pandemic because of zero business.
Now when the restaurants are reopened with new normal rules- the business for dine-in is not as expected. Only those restaurant businesses are surviving that have an excellent capital backup.
The Emerging Online Food Delivery Market
The rise of the online food delivery market is one of the things that have gone right amidst the pandemic for the restaurant owners.
The food outlet owners are happy that they can continue their business via the online food delivery segment.
There exist two people after the pandemic in the world. One portion of people does not mind ordering food online, and the other amount of people are super health-conscious.
For them, they are ordering food online, or visiting the dine-in after a pandemic is a big question.
Hence, the restaurant outlet owners can continue their business with the help of the first portion of people- who are happy to order food online and are having their favourite restaurant meals at home.
What has changed before and after the pandemic for ‘Food Industry’?
The surge of the online food delivery market is a good chance because of the pandemic for the food industry.
The food is sold at the same price that is charged for the dine-in experience. Also, the food outlet owners can continue marketing the food with fewer staff members.
It also saves the electricity and other maintenance costs carried by the restaurant.
The preference for dine-in is wholly changed. Family get-togethers are celebrated at home by ordering food online.
The online food delivery market has ruled during the pandemic, and it may continue to soar for a couple of years. Even after the vaccine is introduced, it is hard to believe that the dine-in market will be back to normal.
