Our Future

​As we rise and reopen our foodservice businesses, we want to share with you our observations, the results of our research and our thoughts on what our industry will look like and confront immediately, and in the near-term.
We believe some aspects of consumer behavior will change permanently because of our pandemic experiences. Much like air travel changed dramatically and permanently after 9/11, The foodservice industry will see changes in operations, consumer behavior and business volume because of COVID-19. New and On-Going employee training on sanitation, food and personal safety will be part of everyday restaurant life. The need for an active on-line presence is more important now than ever. Social distancing will mean fewer dining room seats, resulting in more emphasis on enjoying restaurant food away from the restaurant. 
​Restaurants will have fewer dining room seats in the foreseeable future – not just to comply social distancing but also because significantly more of their business will be delivered to their customers via take-out, curbside, delivery and Grab ‘N Go. Prior to March 15, restaurants were averaging about 10% of their business in pick-up or delivery. Since the lockdown of dining room use, restaurants that are still open have seen their take-out/curbside/delivery business grow by 110%. This shows that consumers WANT to enjoy restaurant food and are willing to change behavior– it also tells us that operators must change their business format for the future to successfully participate in the marketplace. 
​If restaurants reduce dining room seating, operators should consider re-purposing the “new” space to host a Grab “N Go/Takeout program. We are coining the phrase: “Food-Away-From-the-Restaurant” (FAR) to capture what will happen in the future.
New Products, and in high volume for take-out packaging will be needed to take part in the “food-away-from-the-restaurant” consumer demand. The days of self-serve buffets may be over (at least for the immediate future) - this especially will impact hotels, grocery store salad/hot & cold bars, caterers, and country clubs. ​
Consumers will demand better technology from restaurants:
  • Web ordering for Curbside, Take-Out & Delivery
  • Touchless Payment (The days of check presenter folios and pens are limited)
​New products will be required to practice sanitation
  • PPE - like masks and gloves
  • Cleaning, Sanitation, and Disinfectant products
​Distributors are going to take a huge financial loss on restaurant A/R as restaurants close or are unable to pay their pre-March 15 bills. As a result, operators can expect much tighter credit terms and less tolerance for payment terms deviation from distributors going forward.
Operators will be burdened with extra costs of doing business:
  • PPE
  • More and more effective sanitation products and procedures
  • Take-Out/Grab ‘N Go/Delivery Packaging
  • Extra labor to execute the sanitation program
  • Delivery Costs (Curbside service would be a big cost saver if operators can make the service consumer friendly). Operators should consider putting in their own delivery service vs. using a third-party like Uber Eats or Grubhub
These costs will have to be offset with other expense reductions or an increase in menu prices – which, in a re-boot, is dangerous in terms of customer acceptance. When coupled with fewer dining room seats, operators will be more challenged than ever to generate profit.
​What follows on our inaugural Foodservice CEO website is a collection of resources, ideas, and reference material – some created and others curated – to help you as you enter “foodservice 2020.2”.

Important Websites that offer Guidance

We suggest consulting these organizations for updates and guidance on a regular basis.