Bars, cafes and restaurants, already hard hit by the health crisis and restrictions, will have to make a fresh start to re-emerge after the pandemic. A challenge that will reward the most innovative.
Home delivery: the end of bars as we know them?
During confinements, customers have become accustomed to enjoying some of the pleasures right in their own homes. Sure, it’s not the same as spending a night out with the guys, but organizing home deliveries has allowed some establishments to get noticed with services that were previously secondary. Take beer bars: delivering a beer is good, delivering a beer and a sandwich is much better.
However, for those who already enjoy a loyal customer base, changing habits and getting new customers has become a real challenge. It’s now clear that word of mouth comes through social media. Many have enlisted the help of specialists to give themselves a makeover on Instagram or Facebook. But many more have tried to do it on their own, facing the difficulty of feeding their virtual space with captivating and enriching content.
The virtual showcase that social networks offer to bars is still very attractive and can make all the difference especially at the time of reopening. The most astute have taken advantage of the networks to educate their “followers” about the quality of their products. For example, they gave more information about the particularities of a rare beer, its brewing, the history of the producers… And on top of that, they used Instagram, Facebook or even TikTok to spread the word about their offer at home: hamburgers designed to highlight the taste of a Trappist beer, glasses perfect to serve yourself a beer like at the bar, directly at home or a tasting box. The most creative ones have redoubled their efforts to offer a unique experience to their regular customers and have seized the opportunity to be noticed by other potential customers.
The reopening
With the new provisions, bars are once again accessible. But are the customers the same as before? Not at all: they have become more demanding, having now all the knowledge to select their favorite bars. Some will focus on the quality of the products, others on the extent of the services offered and still others will only frequent places that have a declared mission that goes beyond simple consumption / sale: this is the case of establishments that have put forward their environmental sensitivity or their fair trade choices.
Only those who have inspired their customers before serving them have a chance to build a lasting legacy. And if you really want to excel, you must now offer a masterful on-premises experience, deliver flagship products and assert your presence on social media with polished, exciting and interactive content.
Yes, but how to surpass yourself in the on-site experience?
Those who have taken advantage of these confinements to refresh their premises can now offer clean and redesigned spaces to their customers. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to bring a bar up to date, and often, paying attention to the small details can make a big difference. Comfortable chairs, floor lamps and neutral colors are all it takes to create a pleasant atmosphere for spending time with friends.
The presentation of the products will be as careful as their quality and price. A small note to indicate the name of the product, its origin and its price are already a good start to allow the customers, even the most distracted, to be tempted by a product to be tasted at home.
Key To Success
Nevertheless, despite the inevitable changes that this pandemic has imposed on us, there remains one and only one key to be appreciated again and again by its customers: the service on site and the products must be irreproachable.
A draught beer can be refreshing and light if served correctly, using a quality and well-maintained beer fountain. Otherwise, the tasting will be much less pleasant with a bitter aftertaste and a very painful bloated feeling. Beer is an art that a good bar must master perfectly. Here you can find professional beer equipment and all needed accessories from beer pump till cleaning accessories.
We are in the starting blocks of a new course for the restaurant business, where on-site and in-home service are not antithetical and word of mouth is done virtually. A new chapter where quality will be more and more appreciated by a competent clientele.
