If you’re one of the many restauranteurs across North America that have been able to reopen your restaurant in some regard over the last 6 months then we applaud you. There has never been a more challenging time to own/run a restaurant and we’re so happy to see people dining in and enjoying their friends and families like we used to. Now the big challenge this winter is to keep them coming back without patios and sunshine while trying to convince them to keep dining in over the winter. Restauranteurs are the most innovative and resilient entrepreneurs that exist, so we’re not worried about it, we believe in you.

Here are a few things we think can help you prepare for indoor dining this winter:

1. Improve on airflow and spacing
One of the most important things about dining inside this winter for patrons will be airflow.  Sharing the knowledge that your restaurant is properly ventilated and has plenty of space in-between each table will be key to getting more people out. Make sure that all your staff understand all the upgrades that you’ve made and can easily explain them to anyone who is curious. It could be the difference in whether someone decides to eat at your restaurant or not. Ventilation is a huge priority to dine-in-ers, be prepared to get a lot of questions about it and be ready with answers, whether over the phone or in person.

2. Give them a reason to come to your restaurant
People will be more willing to brave the cold and dine in at your restaurant this winter than last. But they will all put a high price tag on their attendance. This means, you have to wow them and give them an extra special reason to come to your restaurant. Keep things new and exciting and let people know what you have that’s unique and worth dining in for. A great way to let people know about what your doing is through social media and advertising. Post a lot and post often about how warm and comfy it is in your restaurant, about how happy everyone was during last night’s dinner service, and about how great your new food options are. Motivation is key, if they see others eating, drinking, being happy and having fun, they will want to do it too. You can also use Sirved advertising as a digital sandwich board to showcase all your new and exciting news, as well as add atmosphere photos of your restaurant to Sirved to show our users how great it looks and feels inside your restaurant this winter. Click here to access 100% free sirved advertising OR click here to claim your listing with Sirved for free.

3. Provide a safe environment
Indoor dining will rely heavily on non-contact everything this winter. Most restaurants already have some sort of non-contact option for their menus along with contact tracing when signing into a restaurant, but for those that don’t, nows the time to get on board. If you already have plans in place, that’s great, but do your research as it’s worth looking around for cheaper/free options to accomplish the same things you already have. With so many restaurants needing help these days Sirved has come up with a wide array of tools to offer all restaurants. One of which is free non-contact options in the form of QR codes that can be downloaded and printed out to put on windows and tables at your restaurant. Guests are also asked to fill out a form for contact tracing and then will be brought right to your menu on the Sirved website or app where they can find their food.  Click here to access our free non-contact QR codes OR click here to claim your listing with Sirved for free.

4. Stay flexible and have a plan
Let’s be honest, no one knows how this winter will go, things might change again. Have a plan for if you have to go back to only pick up and delivery and have a plan in place just in case of another full shutdown. Inform all of your staff of your pick-up and delivery plan and your shutdown plan so that they can be as prepared as you are if things go a little sideways. The more everyone is prepared for the worst the better everyone can enjoy the present, which will translate into better service, which will bring customers back. Give yourself and your employees peace of mind and let them know that no matter you’ve got their back.