After more than seven months, German gastronomy is gradually opening its doors.
Many challenges such as staff shortages still remain for restaurateurs.
At last! After more than seven months without restaurants, bars and cafés, German gastronomy is once again able to welcome guests *. However, when you look at the chilled drinks and delicious food, one thing easily fades into the background:
the past year has left its mark
. “Traces that will continue to play a role for the industry and its visitors in the coming period,” says Christian Bauer, managing director of the management software resmio. Bauer's team experienced the crisis as a digital partner of over 10,000 catering establishments. For the expert, Corona acted and continues to act as a catalyst for numerous problem areas that the operators already had before the pandemic.
How are restaurateurs really doing today?
How does the industry look to the future and also: How can you support as a guest?
Also read:
Project against food waste: Community Kitchen Munich.
*
Gastronomy industry: staff shortages more serious than ever
It cannot be described as a problem caused purely by Corona and yet:
The staff shortage in the industry is more serious than ever
. In some regions, up to 40 percent of employees reoriented. “There is no doubt that gastronomy remains a passion for many, but the industry and its operators have lost their attractiveness as an employer in recent months,” says Bauer. Offering the same number of full-time jobs as before Corona therefore remains utopian. “The new uncertainty in long-term planning is the most explosive problem for our customers. Not only the need for personnel has changed due to ongoing restrictions or an increased focus on the delivery business.
The risk of having to go back to 100 percent short-time work still exists with a view to Great Britain.
“For the expert, however, it is not only external variables that lead to problems in recruiting.
“Flexible working hours, revenue sharing, vouchers for public transport or other benefits are standard in more and more industries.
Operators could create incentives here, ”says Bauer.
+
Due to the persistently low incidences, catering establishments are allowed to reopen in many places even without a negative corona test.
© Ralph Peters / Imago
Calculation and use of goods - industry association calls for changes to the corona rules
But it is not just management with the human resource that is more difficult than it was before the pandemic. The crisis showed that the catering industry is one of the sectors
that must reckon
with immediate regulations as the incidence increases
. When calculating the cost of goods, this certainty remains in the head, especially for hotels and catering companies. “But it is not just the fear of another wave of rejections that takes necessary constants. The current regulations make the business so
weather dependent
like never before, ”describes Bauer. “First of all, not all operators have the same requirements when it comes to outdoor catering. For those who are lucky enough to have a beer garden or a terrace, rain and storms mean high losses. ”Industry associations such as
DEHOGA in Hesse are
now calling for changes to the prevailing corona rules. “Not all restaurants in Germany are in Berlin, Hamburg or Cologne. A spontaneous test in order to be able to switch to the interior of the company in the event of a storm is still necessary in many places, but not everywhere, especially on weekends. If bad weather meant losses even before Corona, today it is an unforeseeable loss-making business in an already precarious situation, ”said Bauer.
Also interesting:
Tips for safe shopping in Corona times: You should pay attention to this.
Delivery business as a medium-term addition for restaurateurs
The offer of a
delivery or collection service
was the only way for many restaurateurs to generate sales in the past few months. Operators can also benefit from the development of the digital infrastructure with a view to the coming winter season. As a complete replacement for on-site business, the new sales channel only works to a limited extent in some places. “Enjoying a dish in a restaurant or at home are two very different things,” Bauer describes. “And the conditions that a restaurant must have in order to offer one or the other perfectly and lucratively in the long term are just as different. This applies to the capacities of the staff, to the space in the kitchen and, of course, to the margin. We have supported our customers with digital offers,which have been wonderfully integrated into everyday restaurant life and can also be used as a sales channel after the pandemic, ”reports Bauer. Nevertheless, the flowing one
Switching between on-site and delivery business is
a situation that is not ideal for all teams and locations.
Conclusion: Digitized restaurants and bars have advantages
The joy of seeing each other again is and remains great on both sides.
In conversation with restaurant and bar operators, however, Bauer's need to raise awareness becomes clear.
“The situation in the catering industry is different than it was before the first lockdown.
Changed opening times, smaller cards, higher prices
- Not all companies see themselves in a position to pick up where they left off. This requires understanding on the part of the guests. With early reservations, precautionary test certification and digital recording of contact data via QR code, a lot is already done when you visit a restaurant, ”says Bauer. The expert recommends restaurateurs to become even more digital in the future. “Looking back, 2020 was inevitably a
crash course for social media and digitization
for many companies
As a general rule.
Whether reviews on Google, your own Instagram channel or placing ads on Facebook - it was digital solutions that strengthen the back of the restaurateurs and will continue to do so in the future. "
Building your own reach on social media continues to ensure more independence and new concepts, such as setting up an online shop, to set yourself apart from others.
In summary, Bauer looks to the future with optimism: "The reopenings do not mean a return to normal for us, they are still an important first step."
* Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
Source: press release resmio
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List of rubric lists: © Ralph Peters via www.imago-images.de