Finally, the moment Catering and Hospitality Businesses have been waiting for is in sight – they can now prepare to open to the public once again.
Catering and Hospitality Businesses have been significantly affected, but now with the vaccine programme well underway and the roadmap out of lockdown in place, we can finally look towards getting back to the way things were.
The hospitality sector’s determination to stay afloat has created an environment of hope and optimism for this year and the future ahead. The shared feeling among owners of Catering and Hospitality Businesses is that while things have changed, from this will come innovation and success.
If, like many other business owners, you are preparing to reopen to the public this summer, here are the key things you must consider.
Be Legally Compliant
The vast majority of U.K. adults will have been vaccinated by June 21st, when hospitality will open up fully again. And while the vaccine programme aims to eradicate the need for social distancing, there will be technicalities that you must implement to run a legally compliant business.
Unlike previous lockdowns, the roadmap out of the pandemic recently announced by the Prime Minister confirmed that no ‘substantial meals’ will have to be served. This freedom highlighted a change from last summer when there were Covid rules in place.
The news that this year will likely be a return to almost normality will come as a relief. However, you should still be providing hand sanitising facilities and complying with social distancing until these rules are relaxed.
How did social distancing work in your business last summer? Is there anything that didn’t work that you could improve on? We have all had plenty of practice by now, and your team should understand the implications of being legally compliant, but refresher training will be a good idea in the first few days or reopening.
The Government have updated their guidelines for opening the hospitality sector – make you familiarise yourself with the policies and ensure your staff are in the know too.
Be Market Aware
In each local area and sector, there will be certain Catering and Hospitality Businesses that sadly will not be opening up again.
Stay aware of your local market, who is reopening and what changes they have made to keep ahead of your competitors. Think about the layout of your premises, your menu and your offers – will you be putting on any special events this year? Think about local festivals, sporting events and the school holidays – there will be plenty going on this year.
It might be a good idea to simplify your menu to help kitchen staff, especially as this summer is set to be busy for most establishments.
Perhaps you could introduce new items to your menu or new ‘post-Covid’ deals? People will be on the lookout for something special when they return to dining out – work with your kitchen team to create something extra special for your reopening.
Prepare for the Influx
Finally, when looking at the data already coming through, it is no surprise that the public is planning on spending a lot of time exercising their new freedoms this year. This means preparing for perhaps your busiest summer ever.
Be smart with your bookings – some businesses are only taking booking with a deposit; this will reduce your risk of losing out in all-important business this summer. Is this something that could work in your establishment? You need a tight booking and service procedure in place and an excellent, switched-on team who can deal with how busy you will be this year and deliver your company vision.
If you’ve got big ideas for this year, but you haven’t got the right team in place to deliver them – we can help.
Many establishments are already taking bookings for this year, while some other businesses wonder how they’re going to manage. For many Catering and Hospitality Businesses, the reality is that they haven’t got the same team in place; and some have to rebuild their entire team again from scratch.
If you need excellent, dedicated hospitality employees, from a single head chef to an entire catering team – we can help.
Thanks,
Dawn
About KSB Recruitment
We are expert recruiters in the catering and hospitality industry with over 30 years in business, placing the best candidates in their perfect roles with an obsessive attention to detail.
KSB is proud to be a Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) member, accredited investors in people, and both Data Protection and Home Office Compliance registered.
We specialise in roles in Birmingham, Staffordshire, the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire.
