What your bar/restaurant should expect this summer
Summer 2022 will be the first summer since 2019 where bars and restaurants are expected to be open at full capacity. Here's a few tips to maximize your sales and provide your guests with a great experience!
Back to Business
Summer 2022 is set to be one of the best summers we've had in a while. With Covid-19 limiting allowed activities in both 2020 and 2021, everyone is anxious to enjoy this summer with no restrictions. That means that you can expect your busiest season since before the pandemic, and the challenges that come with extremely high volume situations.
Challenges
The two main challenges you should be anticipating are:
Staffing during peak hours
Higher volume than staff is used to
Since venues started re-opening from the pandemic lockdowns, it has been difficult for most venues to staff at 100%. The main reasons are that previous employees found more permanent jobs during the pandemic and not as many people are looking for part time work in the service industry, due to the amount of income they would be earning compared to doing something else with their time, which you can read about in one of our previous blog posts. So what does this mean?
You need to be ready for more customers, with less staff
Solutions
While having a crowded venue is a welcomed sight for owners, it also means that managing customer expectations is crucial. If your venue is not fully staffed, implementing a QR code ordering system for your guests can be a great aid to your business. For example, QR code ordering systems such as Barpay can streamline your operations while also keeping your guests in the loop about when they can expect their order. Specifically, Barpay's QR code ordering system includes these key features to provide your guests and staff with an optimal experience, especially with a depleted staff:
No Waiting
The most common frustration amongst customers at bars and restaurants is having to wait for service. Whether it is placing an order or paying the bill, customers hate to wait. A QR code ordering system empowers the customer to order and pay on their time, without wondering when a server will stop bye their table.
Manage Expectations
Even when venues are full, some customers can fail to realize that the kitchen and bar are busy, thus leading to frustrations about wait times to receive their orders. While this is no fault of the staffs, it is difficult for a depleted staff to keep customers in the loop about when their order will be ready. Luckily, Barpay's QR code ordering system helps you manage your customer's expectations, by letting them know where their order is in the queue, and an estimated wait time until the order will be ready.
Order Governor
One of the main issues with a high volume of orders in a short amount of time is that the kitchen or bar can get backed up/over-flooded with order tickets. The common way to combat this problem is simply by having staff not put orders into the POS until the kitchen or bar tells them that they are no longer backed up. Barpay solves this problem by automatically limiting how many orders get fired to the kitchen and/or bar within a certain timeframe. The venue can decide the amount of tickets that can be fired per minute, while also relaying the information to the customer about when they can expect their order. This feature streamlines your operations during your busiest times, while keeping your customers happy.
Ways to Implement
Every venue's layout and operations are different, and Barpay's QR code ordering system can be tailored to your specific venue type and what you want your guest experience to be. Whether you want to use Barpay as the primary way for customers to place orders, or as a secondary option, the system allows for less staff to manage more tables. The most common setups for the system are:
Table Delivery
Place QR codes on each table (table numbers embedded in QR codes) and allow customers to place all food and drink orders directly from the codes. Order tickets in the kitchen and at the bar display the customer's name, order number, and table number, so the only thing staff needs to do is run the food and drinks to the table.
Ideal venue type - Fast casual, brewery/beer garden, tavern/pub, sports bar
Bar Pick Up
For venues that only offer bar service, customers can place an order from any table or area of the venue, and receive a specific order number to show the bartender to pick up their order. The customer is directed via text message or within the Barpay application on specifically where to go to pick up their order.
Ideal venue type - Tavern/pub, brewery/beer garden, dive bar, sports bar
Do you get a line at the point of entry?
Lines are another aspect of your operations that might get overwhelming this summer. As more and more people start going out, the chances of your venue getting a line are pretty good. If you're looking for a way to monetize your line and offer your guests a VIP experience, the Fast Pass is a feature to consider.
How it Works
Fast Pass is a feature of Barpay that allows guests to purchase VIP entry into your venue. From an ownership perspective, all you need to do is display the Fast Pass signage at your line entrance, and let the platform do the rest. If a guest wants to skip the line, they can purchase a Fast Pass in 3 easy steps:
Scan the Fast Pass QR code
Select the number of passes desired and purchase
Show purchase confirmation to the door security
This is different from a cover, in the sense that guests don't have to pay it if they don't want to, but guests that are willing to spend a little extra to skip the line outside have the option. The Fast Pass dashboard allows you to set different pricing tiers and limit the number of passes sold per tier, so you can maximize your incremental revenue. Click here to learn how venues have used Fast Pass to increase revenue by $100,000+ in less than 6 months!
Closing Out
Everyone is excited for the summer, and venues should be ready for the most traffic they have seen since before the pandemic. Technology, QR codes specifically, helped owners navigate constantly changing health and safety guidelines during the pandemic. The same technology that customers have grown comfortable with can help your business maximize sales and keep costs to a minimum during peak hours in a post pandemic world. With this summer sure to be the busiest season in the last two years, will your venue be ready?