The food and beverage industry has been hit hard by COVID-19.

Normal restaurant
operations have shrinked and businesses have been forced to pivot their offerings to survive.
It will take time to reassure customers to build customer satisfaction related to hygiene and
safety standards. But one thing is for certain: Change is coming, and restaurants need to
prepare.
Challenges:
 Limited staff -A shortage of staff has affected restaurant business. Some are operating
at only 50% capacity, and still have a hard time finding enough staff to work. Having
enough people for each shift is a constant struggle. And bringing in extra hands means
that they are always training new hires. Some new hires have restaurant experience –
and some don’t. Training takes time. It also takes extra hands. Better unemployment
benefits are also challenging the industry. COVID-19 caused the loss of many jobs
and business closures. As a result, the government has offered assistance. Stimulus
and unemployment funds now rival the salaries of part-time restaurant workers. These
funds are available to any worker. Employees who work a lot of hours get the same
amount as those who only work a few. Some choose to collect the assistance rather
than risk their personal safety to staff local eateries
 Same restaurants, new risks -Restaurants are also seeing new risks walking into
their doors. High-traffic surfaces present customers and wait staff with exposure risk.
- menus and everything that goes on the table has to be sanitized between customers.
And took a lot of things off the tables – the ketchup, the salt and pepper shakers, steak
sauces. Habits form over time. They are also hard to break. For example, refilling
drinks was once a simple process. If a customer wanted a refill, then staff added the
drink to their original glass. But now, new glasses replace old ones. This prevents any
cross-contamination.
 Supply shortages - Cleanliness has always been a priority. However, cleaning
products, soaps, and sanitizers have been in short supply since the start of COVID-19.
They are hard for the average customer to locate. It has been even more difficult for
restaurants to find what they need. If their usual products are out of stock, then they
have to find new ones. They also need extra masks and gloves for employees to serve
customers. Both continue to be hard to find. Remembering each safety measure can
be a challenge, though – especially during busy times
 Recovery of losses - The restaurants may take a while to make up for the losses
occurred during the shutdown period. They may have to pay their employees for the
lockdown period despite no business being done. The NRAI, in an open letter to mall
owners and landlords, has already sought a temporary waiver of rentals for six months
and adoption of a revenue-sharing model for six months amidst the countrywide
lockdown.
 Extra additional costs for safety and hygiene features: masks, gloves, sanitizers,
sanitizing machines and also less staff and customers
 Lack of Online presence: With restaurants shutting down, people who need to order
food are relying on online food delivery services such as Zomato, Swiggy. These
habits are likely to continue and people might want to steer clear from social dining.
Generation Z consumers were already enthused by the chef-led delivery brands that
provided high-quality food cooked in cloud kitchens and home-delivered.
 Restaurateurs may want to channelise on such ideas in future that don't need large
capital for investment. So, restaurants must be present online and social media sites.
Restaurants chefs can share their recipes online as well to earn money through same.
 Lack of Kitchen view: Few restaurants have indoor kitchen without glass panels but
Patrons will always be more comfortable and confident when they can actually see the
cleanliness and hygiene of a restaurant’s kitchen and its staff. So, restaurants which
have an uninhibited kitchen view, will subliminally send out more welcome signals.
 Lack of strategic location: Drive-through service lanes have the potential to survive
in lockdown situations. These are likely to flourish in the future in the fast-food
service delivery business.