The restaurant industry has had to adapt in numerous ways to the emerging contactless society that the pandemic has forced society into. From restricting indoor dining to only allowing takeaway orders to be made, restaurants across the country are feeling the brunt of these restrictions. Reports show that sales have declined 15.9 percent in the past year, as well as a 53.8 percent decline in employment in the industry. As a result, over 124 restaurants in D.C. have had to close. In D.C., a city in which the industry was booming with business, the change is apparent.
Although restaurants were beginning to adapt to a more technologically advanced society pre-pandemic, using tablets instead of physical menus, for example, the past year has seen changes that extend beyond even that. “Hello and thank you for calling, if you would like to place an order, please visit our website,” Ben’s Next Door’s automated voicemail states, “For any other inquiries, please feel free to text us, or leave a voicemail, and we will be sure to get back to you.”
The idea of leaving a voicemail or texting a dining establishment to order food would’ve sounded completely foreign two years ago. However, with the year that small businesses have experienced establishments have had to utilize creative ways to make themselves as accessible to potential customers as possible.
Of the small businesses that applied for federal programs, over half have reported that they did not receive the full amount of funding they applied for. As a result, many are relying on support from their regular customers to keep them afloat. “Just like any other business, we’re mostly relying on delivery and takeout orders,” the general manager of Creole on 14th, Roger Gairy, stated. Attempting to make a sustainable profit means that these restaurants will have to utilize technology to stay connected with their customers while still keeping everyone safe.
But even after the worst of the pandemic has passed, many speculate that the contactless methods being put in place today will continue for a while. According to a contactless technology study conducted by Appetize, an enterprise commerce platform for food, beverage, and retail, 45 percent of Americans preferred to view the menu, order, and pay with their phone. And 40 percent would like this method to continue even after the pandemic is over.
