As the COVID-19 crisis goes on, finding ways to stay connected with your customers becomes more and more challenging. What can you do besides offering take-out and delivery? Here are a few ideas to consider:
#1 Let your chef become an online cooking consultant. Velas Resorts in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, has come up with creative ways for the resort’s chefs to interact with customers at magazine.velasresorts.com. On the site’s What's in Your Pantry? page, visitors can ask chefs to create recipes based on what they have in their own pantry. Followers can also request what they'd like to learn. You can see how it works at magazine.velasresorts.com/fork-knife/whats-in-your-pantry/
Idea: Ask anyone you’ve created a recipe for to prepare it, and to take a picture and share it on their social media platforms (tagging your restaurant, of course).
#2 Turn customers’ cocktails into a contest. The internet has been full of people making their own signature “crisis” cocktails. Capitalize on this DIY cocktail trend by asking customers to create a quarantine-themed cocktail, then have them submit their entry by a certain date (perhaps based on the estimated date you’ll be allowed to re-open). Choose the best recipe(s) and add them to a special “COVID-19 Comeback” menu, giving credit to the winner(s).
Idea: Consider giving the winners a coupon for a free meal + one free cocktail
#3 Make your take-out or delivery meals an excuse for customers to dress up. Ortega’s New Mexican Restaurant in Albuquerque, NM is suggesting families dress up, or even make themed outfits, when they eat their take-out meals from the restaurant. Kids especially will enjoy this opportunity to put on a costume.
Idea: Ask your customers to send in photos, which you can post on your social media accounts.