DURHAM, N.H.— Restaurants are beginning to reopen and many will have to work hard to reinvent themselves. From social distancing with new seating arrangements and outdoor dining only to deep sanitizing, temperature taking and mask requirements, what can the public expect when they head out for a meal and will some restaurants survive?
Daniel Innis, professor of marketing and hospitality management at the University of New Hampshire, can discuss changes and safety precautions businesses need to make to keep both staff and customers safe while owners try to restart their businesses and get back to “normal”. He says restaurants who are offering take-out have learned a lot about social distancing, but their strategy will need to be altered once they open their doors to sit down dining.
“Whether restaurants are allowed to open to just outdoor dining, or indoor dining, social distancing implies six feet between tables which could change the economic equation for restaurants in a way that could make it very challenging to succeed financially,” said Innis. “Restaurants, just like hotels, airlines and other modes of transportation, survive by being full. Projections suggest a slow recovery over the next year and if there is another COVID-19 outbreak that results in more stay-at-home orders, things could get even more difficult for these businesses, no matter what precautions they may take. But, recovery will come and good decisions now will help businesses to be prepared for the coming months.”
Innis is an expert in marketing, management and strategic planning for the hospitality industry including restaurants and hotels, and a former owner of two inns and a hotel.
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