Virtual restaurants? Now what are we being expected to keep up with? When you’re operating a restaurant – trying to keep and attract diners, keep food costs under control, recruit top restaurant executives and staff – you’ve already got your hands full. But keeping on top of trends is worth it, in part because it keeps your menus fresh and your clientele intrigued.
What is a virtual restaurant and how will it impact your business?
A virtual restaurant is one that exclusively caters to pickup or delivery customers. There is typically no front of house, just a pickup counter. There may or may not be a kitchen on-site, or prepared meals are delivered to the site from the main restaurant.
Who are virtual restaurants for?
From a customer perspective, they are for anyone who wants to enjoy restaurant-quality meals without leaving the comfort of their own home. Think about it. You’ve had a hard day at work and all you want to do is take off your shoes and curl up on the couch with the remote. Delivery is always an option, but it’s typically chains that dominate that part of the business. What if you could enjoy a meal from your favorite restaurant without putting your pants back on?
From a restaurant’s viewpoint, what if you are a city restaurant with a lot of customers who come from a particular suburban zip code? You’d like to get their business for more than just special occasions, but they are unwilling to make the trip on weekdays, and you don’t want to invest in a new location. This is the perfect opportunity for a virtual restaurant. You are able to serve a wider or more scattered customer base.
You won’t have to do as much recruiting for restaurant managers and other personnel because the locations are so barebones. Some virtual restaurants are even self-service kiosk-based where ordering and delivery is completely automated.
Virtual restaurants can help you grab the millennial market. Millennials eat a higher number of meals in restaurants than any other age group. They are also the most likely to eagerly adopt new technologies and apps.
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