Views from from Hospitality Brands on COVID-19 Unlock 1.0

Having a continuous lockdown was unsustainable from an economic point of view for all the businesses hence unlock 1.0 is welcome by all. However, unlock 1.0 brings the ‘New Normal’ for all sectors as they enter into a new mode of working, altogether keeping the old routine aside i.e the new normal will observe more work from home, more virtual meetings, more precautions by the brands, which were earlier not a daily part of their routine.

From the production and manufacturing point of view, there will be an increase in the hygiene standards and there will also be an increase in the investments for the same. Brands will have to use innovative marketing techniques to promote these hygiene standards to build up brand visibility.

We at The Baker’s Dozen use a very unique TBD Fresh Seal packaging which is adapted from a German technology that prevents oxygen transfer from the environment into the product. The packaging helps to prevent the outer atmosphere and air into the product making it safe and secure for the customers to consume. Also without oxygen, microbial growth is retarded and hence shelf life is enhanced. It is required today since more and more customers are demanding hygienically-made products with no preservatives and longer shelf life.

From the growth point of view, we are also gradually increasing the staff count which we had cut down to 40% of the working staff during the lockdown phase. Now as the demand for the products will increase and there will be a smooth supply chain, which we as a brand have to maintain, we are in process of slowly normalizing the staff strength keeping in mind the safety measures and social distancing norms.

The unlock can be successful if everyone takes proper precautions and steps out only if necessary and maintains the norms laid out by the government. Hope to have a safe unlock and better growth for every on

2. Mr. Rahul Aggarwal, CEO & Founder, Coffeeza 

Despite lifting of the lockdown, consumer confidence remains shockingly low. A recent survey by the Retailers Association of India found that nearly 40% of consumers aren’t yet excited about shopping. Despite that, we have seen good sales numbers for our home use barista-style coffee brand – Coffeeza. Furthermore, we feel that home coffee consumption will grow further because of WFH trend”

 

3. Mr. Rahul Bajaj – Director, and Conceptualizer at Out Of The Blue and Deli By The Blue 

As the hospitality industry gears up to start the operations on the account of Unlock 1.0 with cautious optimism, some restaurants choose to start deliveries while some are ready to open the shutters. When the lockdown was announced, we were amongst the very few restaurants that were offering delivery due to which the sales percentage was pretty good in the beginning phase. Although only 20% of the sales is happening via deliveries as compared to when Out Of The Blue and Deli By The Blue was fully functional before the lockdown. We have witnessed a drop in that as well for the last few days as other players in the market also initiated deliveries.

 

As we plan to open the restaurant somewhere around September – October 2020, we have chalked out a few ideas to implement and maintain social distancing. We will either be introducing paper menus that will be destroyed after a single use or a ‘no-touch menu’ wherein the patrons can view and download the menu from either our app or our website and place their orders accordingly. The set up of plastic placemats and disposable crockery may also be done that eliminates the fear of your arms and hands touching the table and getting affected. As the items are disposable, the patrons can dine freely without any fear or hesitation in terms of safety standards. Apart from these things, the sanitization of the restaurant and kitchen premises will be continued to be practiced at regular intervals along with the set up of hand sanitizing stations in the waiting area as well. The water testing is also done periodically to check that it isn’t contaminated and is healthy for consumption. Plus, we were the first restaurant to have an ISO 9001 certification and have been following these rules for 15 years. There will be fewer tables set up than usual to maintain social distancing along with the number of staff being reduced at a given time. We will also be using smaller tables that accommodate fewer people. We have staff members working at both the restaurants and they are quarantined at our Le Sutra hotel from the first day of the lockdown announcement. They are trained to practice the best-in-class safety measures like periodic temperature checks, sanitizing the restaurant premises at regular intervals, using face masks, wearing gloves and hand sanitizers, etc and will continue doing so even after the restaurant resumes operations. The valet will also be checked before entering the premises because even if one person is affected, the others who are in the vicinity also hold high chances of getting affected. Meanwhile both Out Of The Blue and Deli By The Blue is open for deliveries.

 

Considering the immunity factor, we have also introduced Immunity Booster Combo meals in Veg and Non-veg variants at an affordable price range. These combo meals are a perfect amalgamation of all the key ingredients providing the right nutrients that keep our immune system strong and illness at bay. Also, for all the health freaks, Deli By The Blue has got them covered with their Keto meals, sugar-free desserts, gluten-free and lactose-intolerant options, wholesome sandwiches, etc. We are also delivering birthday cakes during these troubles times for people to celebrate their birthdays and anniversaries. The ones who are diabetic or health-conscious, we also have Gooey Chocolate sugar-free Keto cakes that can be pre-ordered as well.

Corporate comm India (CCI Newswire)