COVID-19 - Tips and tools to support your restaurant
2021 is a challenging year for the restaurant industry and TheFork is more than ever committed to stand by its restaurant partners and provide them useful advice and improved software features to help them cope with Covid-19 business & human challenges.
This page is dedicated to restaurants looking for tips to cope with closure, keep on generating revenue, maintain a connection with their customers and boost their visibility to get ready for full reopening.
Rely on TheFork Features to reassure your clients and manage your business
We know that your restaurant will need time to recover from Covid-19 and that you are doing your best to still generate revenue while reducing costs. You also take care of your staff and keep on connecting with your guests. So many challenges! In order to support you, TheFork has listed for you some tips:
- Contact us to display directly on your TheFork restaurant page the mention that you offer delivery and/or takeaway options for your customers.
- Use TheFork Covid Badge to display on your restaurant page all the safety measures you put in place to make your clients feel safe
- When reopened, activate your seating preference feature on TheFork manager so that guests can choose their seating to make them feel comfortable.
- Make the most of your digital Floorplan to define the best tables set up and save you and your staff some time.
You are not working with TheFork yet?
To support our new customers and the ones using FREE plan, TheFork offers free access to premium version of TheFork Manager during 3 months*! Make the most of it to prepare your restaurant reopening.
*Offer applies to new customers, customers using FREE plan and clients can benefit from it until March 31st 2022.
What you'll get with the Premium version of the software
Track your reservations
Record, modify and cancel all your reservations from one central system, whether they were made online, by phone or even walk-ins. This includes bookings from different sources as such Tripadvisor, TheFork, Google and Facebook.
Control your customer flow
Have full control over your bookings depending on your needs. You can set the number of covers available; close bookings when you’re fully booked; most importantly use the floor plan tool to ensure the correct social distance between diners.
Increase your online visibility
Boost your presence to millions of unique visitors and get more diners into your venue! Your restaurant has a customised page that you can manage and update, with your menu, pictures, prices, opening hours and reviews.
Communicate with your customers
Stay in touch with your customers and keep them updated with news from your restaurant by building your own customer database. Design and send emails and text messages directly via the software.
Make some noise
A recent study conducted by TheFork showed that diners are ready to get back into an in-restaurant dining experience once restrictions have been lifted. This is a great opportunity to make it easy for diners to discover and book at your restaurant and provide them with the service that you are known to give!
- Update your Social Media profiles and let your fans know that you offer delivery & takeaway options if you do
- Update your restaurant information such as operating hours, menus, photos and take the time to answer all your reviews ( more on Update your profile on TheFork
- Re-engage your diners by sending an email or SMS campaign to let them know you are now taking reservations or offering Takeaway and Delivery options. Don't miss business opportunity.
- Install your booking widget on Facebook and Instagram to get more bookings once your restaurant reopens.
Provide a safe dining environment
Create a safe and welcoming experience for both your staff and guests. Ensure your staff are informed of the safety measures you’ve put in place so that diners are comfortable to dine-in again. Continue to communicate the safety measures in place in your restaurant to ensure a safe dining environment, thanks to the COVID-19 safety badge on your restaurant page, you are likely to benefit from a 4% booking increase.
Key points to consider:
- Provide supplies such as masks, gloves and sanitiser to keep staff and guests safe.
- Reduce physical contact as much as possible
- Be mindful of guest preferences, without knowing the situation everyone is in, be sure to remain empathetic and focus on providing a dining experience to remember.
Your questions answered
Need more support? Please check our full FAQ, contact us or log in your TheFork Manager account and access our real-time chat.
While the restrictions vary from area to area, there are 3 key things that are no longer allowed:
To limit the spread of germs, diners are no longer be allowed to collect their own condiments, cutlery, drinks or food. Instead all venues will need to offer table service and diners will be required to wear face masks when they are away from their tables.
- Crowded dining rooms
Restaurants must ensure that diners are socially distanced from one another (the distance varies depending on where you are), which has meant that many eateries are operating at a reduced capacity and have asked diners to remain seated and some have even implemented a one-way system.
- Self-service
To limit the spread of germs, diners are no longer be allowed to collect their own condiments, cutlery, drinks or food. Instead all venues will need to offer table service and diners will be required to wear face masks when they are away from their tables.
- Live performances inside
At the time of writing , live music, comedy and other live entertainment (including DJs and loud music) are not allowed. This is to reduce the likelihood of loudness causing customers to shout, which is known to spread infection.
According to the World Health Organisation there is ‘currently no evidence that people can catch COVID-19 from food or food packaging. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness and the transmission route is through person-to-person contact and through direct contact with respiratory droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes.’
While there is no guarantee of safety, each local government recommends following certain safety measures (like social distancing, reducing face-to-face time and track-and trace measures) to drastically reduce the likelihood of spreading the Covid-19 infection. Below you can find the hospitality-specific advice for your area below:
- England
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
- Wales
WHO recommendations
Find here all WHO recommendations, advices, guidance, questions and answers and situation reports on COVID-19 pandemic in your region.
Get ready for your restaurant reopening
Try out premium version of TheFork Manager, software fees are waived for the first 3 months!* You can benefit from key covid related features to accelerate your business recovery.
*Offer applies to new customers and customers using FREE plan and clients can benefit from it until March 31st 2022.