Aug
18

How Food Businesses Can Prepare for the Future

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Ash Bennett

Expect more rapid and sudden changes to come. That’s because restrictions come and go and they might still change in the near future. Also, the fluctuating consumer demand puts a strain on many small food businesses such as cafes, restaurants and bakeries.

How food businesses can prepare for the future

Aside from the COVID-19 Safety Plan (as of 10 August 2020), the business owners and staff still have to make additional preparations to survive and thrive. For example, takeaway service is the priority now instead of the dine-in experience. This shift of priority and operations requires sudden modification and adaptation.

It’s like starting from scratch all over again because of the need to adapt quickly. And because it’s a food business where cleanliness, quality and integrity are priorities, the business owner and staff can’t afford to make a mistake. Everything should be safe and smooth so that the business can still effectively and profitably operate.

Although the change and adaptation is an inconvenience, it’s also one amazing opportunity to make things better and right. Somehow, the pandemic has given us a chance to re-evaluate our practices. For instance, physical distancing and regular washing of hands could have been the normal practice even before COVID-19 happened. After all, a new viral threat might appear or the coronavirus might re-emerge stronger.

When it comes to food service outlets, this is an opportunity to start over and begin with the best practices. For example, food boxes and food packaging should be environment-friendly and come from responsible sourcing and manufacturing practices. The cleaning supplies and solutions should be biodegradable especially now that we will be using more volumes of those products in our businesses.

To prepare for the future, it’s crucial to get proactive and alert about the looming threats. Equally important is to be alert about the emerging opportunities and the chance to make things better. After the pandemic and restrictions, it’s likely that most of the helpful practices will stay in the long term. It’s especially the case with the use of environment-friendly products because of the raised awareness on sustainability and climate change.