Let’s face it, not every restaurant is busy 24/7. There are times restaurants need new business and more business. What if restaurants could flip a switch during slow times and suddenly see an increase in sales? Well, it’s now possible with Nextbite.
Drive new business when you need it, prepare your current cuisine, reach a new audience
Nextbite turns existing brick and mortar restaurants into a virtual restaurant (also called a ghost kitchen) by empowering existing restaurants and commercial kitchens to expand reach with multiple different delivery-only brand names using the same ingredients that they are already serving. Plus the brands are marketed through third party delivery apps.
Implementing an omni-channel, off-premise strategy is important for restaurants. Delivery is now a large category of revenue for all types of restaurants, and leveraging a delivery-only virtual brand is a key piece to this. Nextbite offers a portfolio of 17 turnkey delivery-only, virtual restaurant brands, including celebrity brands George Lopez Tacos and HotBox by Wiz Khalifa. Many of which are being utilized across hundreds of locations across the country.
Increase profit margins up to 30%
Nextbite partners with restaurants and other businesses with commercial kitchens of all sizes to provide resources and knowledge to produce more out of the existing output. Each virtual restaurant delivery order placed is generating new incremental revenue. Nextbite pays restaurants 55% of the gross sales of these incremental orders.The hard cost to restaurants is roughly 25%—all-inclusive food and packaging costs. If restaurants don’t have to hire extra staff to handle these orders, they have the ability to make up to a 30% profit margin on each extra order that comes into their restaurant—a profit margin that is unheard of in this industry. In fact, most restaurants, if lucky, are operating at a 5 or 10% margin.
Nextbite has created a more sustainable operation model that works for all types of restaurants, from enterprise to mom and pop, and even nonconventional kitchens.
Easy Onboarding and Support
The Nextbite team handles all of the logistics involved—from marketing and promotion, to brand placement and positioning on third party delivery apps, and fixing any ordering issues. By partnering with Nextbite, restaurants are able to focus on what they do best: making delicious meals for hungry customers.
Culinary expert-designed menus and recipes
Let’s be clear though, at the end of the day, a restaurant will only be successful if people are craving the food and want to come back. Restaurants are set-up with chef-created, high-quality virtual, delivery-only concepts backed by consumer insights. The Nextbite brand and culinary teams thoughtfully evaluate the current market and test different food items and recipes. The superstar culinary team includes culinary-trained chefs, an industry recognized food trendologist, a food experience/quality expert, along with a team of line chefs, restaurant operators, supply chain and kitchen training veterans.
So, the Nextbite focus is not about building brands that are going to just sell well or are on trend or in demand, but it’s about nailing the quality of food to keep consumers coming back for more.
Nextbite is not in the business of renting kitchens or cooking food, but rather partnering with existing restaurants and commercial kitchens to increase business out of their existing operations. Join Nextbite in this revolution and become a restaurant fulfillment partner today.
1. Talk to your staff, listen to your staff
Your staff’s level of comfort with opening will be a key factor to reopening your restaurant. Listen to your staff and understand that they may require additional security, like face masks, distance rules, gloves, or limited seating options.
2. Check your city and state guides
Things change quickly, but city and state governments have put together resources to help you prepare for a reopening date. You should also consider the thresholds of reopening and ensure you meet the requirements. Click here to view State reopening resources from the National Restaurant Association.
3. Talk to your vendors and supply chain
In order to prepare meals for in-house dining guests, it’s important to understand how much inventory you have on hand. Many areas of the industry have been affected by COVID, which means your supply chains may also be experiencing delays or shortages. Talk to your vendors to ensure you’ll be able to place inventory orders to fulfill guest’s meals.
4. Put customer safety first
Your guests may have initial concerns about eating out even after limitations have been lifted. Ensure your dining room is spread out far enough that guests feel safe and are not sitting too close together. This will also help relieve your staff of any concerns.
5. Higher hygiene standards
Increase your hand washing policy and encourage staff to wipe down surfaces more often. This is a good practice to implement regardless of COVID, and will help prevent the spread of illness.
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6. Create a store flow
To make sure customers and staff are following social-distancing guidelines, outline distances when necessary, like pick-up lines or table wait lines. You can place strips of tape on the floor or print out signage to maintain 6ft separation.
7. Make sure your online hours are correct
Google and Yelp took steps towards updating restaurant hours on their platforms during the pandemic. This may mean your store, online, shows you have different or incorrect hours. Contact your account rep or support teams to make sure your hours are adjusted.
8. Include hand sanitizer for guests
Offer a bottle of hand sanitizer on each table, if possible, or near doorways.
9. Final cleaning
While you’ve probably kept your space clean, or haven’t been using it as frequently, it’s important to do a full cleaning/disinfection of your restaurant prior to opening for the public. This will keep customers at ease and get rid of any lingering germs.
10. Have a protocol in place if an employee gets ill
If your employee comes down with COVID-19, ensure you have a plan in place on how to mitigate the situation. Make sure your other staff members are healthy, ask for testing as necessary, and prepare to pause service again, if required.
11. Follow the CDC guidelines for reopening
Don’t get a fine! Make sure you’re following the CDC guidelines for reopening. Click here to visit the CDC website.
Things to consider when reopening:
- Are you able to renegotiate your rent?
- Make sure you’re prepared to handle your online orders and your in-store orders with proper staffing and inventory
- Does your team need updated training?
- Engage with guests on social media! Let them know you’re open for in-house dining
- It might not be the best time to offer promotions, but consider a loyalty program to rebuild customer retention and engagement
- It may take some time to build back up to where you were. Keep positive, work hard, and know diners missed you just as much as you missed them!
For additional resources regarding your restaurant and COVID-19, visit Ordermark.com/COVID19
