Ron Goldblatt • April 8, 2020
5 Ways Restaurants Are Adapting to Coronavirus Changes
Learn how restaurants in our area are staying connected with the community.
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To learn more on how businesses in our area
are staying connected with the community during the shutdown, we spoke with the owners of the following restaurants in the North Shore. We learned a lot about what they’re doing to provide customers service and stay connected. They all shared the following ways of how they’re adapting to the Coronavirus shutdown and showing customers their support:
Offering curbside pickup
The goal behind curbside pickup orders is to provide a no-contact exchange that is easy and efficient. Restaurants encourage customers to pay online or over the phone, and when they pull up to the restaurant, they stay in their car while employees place the food in their trunk or side door. Employees wear masks and gloves to minimize any risks of contact as they bring out the food.
Each restaurant we spoke to had this service process down to a science. The teams at Grill House and Backyard Grill, for example, provide assigned parking spots for each customer when they pull into the parking lot, so there is plenty of space between each car.
The challenge in the no-contact services, says Jeff Gorbena, owner of Tamales Mexican Restaurant, is that a lot of their business involves a personal connection. Because of that, customers can still come into Tamales to order for take-out, but they cannot sit down and must remain 6 feet apart. We are also using text messaging and social media to encourage our customers to pre-order their meals. Anyone that calls or orders online however is required to use curbside pickup or delivery.
Jerry Rayan, owner of Dear Franks, also takes note of this challenge, which is why he encourages folks to call in to order instead of ordering online. This way, he can give recommendations and help customize each sandwich or hot dog to satisfy each customer’s wishes.
Offering contact-free delivery
While pickup options offer a more personalized experience, most of these restaurants like Marcello’s in Northbrook or Eggspresso in Bannockburn offer delivery, either directly via the restaurant or through a third party like Uber Eats, GrubHub or Doordash. All options offer a no-contact option in the app, where the deliverer leaves the food at the door instead of handing it to them.
To order directly from the restaurant, employees are encouraging to pre-pay online. If they need to pay with cash, they suggest leaving an envelope of the cash somewhere hidden at the front door and giving directions to the delivery person on where to find it. Any cash the restaurants receive will be sterilized.
Incorporating extra-thorough sanitization practices
While these restaurants already follow thorough sanitization practices, they are doubling down and taking extra caution. For restaurants that have a walk-up window, such as Greek Feast, employees provide hand sanitizer at the window and sanitize pens after a customer signs a receipt.
“I really do worry about the customers and their health, and I want to be here for them. “All my efforts go towards making sure everyone stays safe during this uncertain time,” said Jerry Rayan, owner of Dear Franks. Dear Franks employees are required to wear gloves at all times.
Leveraging marketing practices to announce special promotions
To get the word out about updates and special offers during this time, all eight restaurants are leveraging text message marketing tactics, provided by NorthShore Loyalty.
The goal of the text messages is to provide folks in the area the opportunity to be the first to know about coupons and any updates. They are the most effective and easy way to help restaurants connect to their community, especially during a time like this. “These text messages have really helped me get the word out fast about the offers I have right now,” said Stelios Mitris from Butterfields. “We just re-opened and are very pleased with our customer’s response!”
Text message marketing has proven to offer local businesses
several benefits:
- It creates awareness. On average, 98 percent of those who receive a text read it, compared to less than 20 percent with email marketing.
- It drives sales. On average, text marketing has a 19 percent click-thru rate, versus email at 2 percent.
- It creates customer loyalty. It is eight times more effective to bring back an existing customer than obtain a new one.
Restaurants are also leaning into social media to share their updates and promotion information. To learn more, visit northshoreloyalty.com.
Giving back to the community
One thing all the restaurant owners had in common was how passionate they were about giving back and ensuring they are doing their part. Restaurants like Eggspresso, Greek Feast, Grill House and Backyard Grill are offering promotions to raise money for local first responders and food drives.
“This is our way of giving back, and I resonate with it personally. It’s something that is so important for us to do,” said Will Abonce. The team at Judy’s Pizza has done their part to team up with restaurants in the area and provide food for local hospitals. Additionally, they provide food for local schools, so that no children go hungry during this pandemic.
Each restaurant we spoke to had a special way of donating and giving back. To learn more, visit their websites or Facebook pages listed below.
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We are all in this together
“Above all else, my number one priority is taking care of my employees, their families, and my customers,” said Stelios Mitris. “We are all in this together.”
As the Coronavirus pandemic worsens and we are all adapting, it’s important to stay positive and support our local businesses. To order online and stay up to date with changes, visit their websites below:
- Backyard Grill (Highland Park, IL), Facebook
- Butterfield's (Northbrook), Facebook
- Dear Franks (Deerfield, IL; Niles, IL), Facebook
- Eggspresso (Bannockburn, IL), Facebook
- Greek Feast (Northbrook, IL), Facebook
- Grill House (Northbrook, IL), Facebook
- Judy’s Pizza (Highland Park, IL), Facebook
- Marcello’s (Northbrook, IL), Facebook
- Tamales (Highland Park, IL), Facebook
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