Last week we wrote about the pent-up travel demand and how the hospitality and travel industry already see signs of recovering post-pandemic. As many restrictions are lifted, an optimistic forecast for the summer season also comes from the gastronomy sector, including restaurants, pubs, and bars.
The Garage Pub and Grill, a restaurant in Columbus, U.S., opened again in May after many months of closing due to the Covid restrictions.
“I’m very optimistic, I think the community is optimistic. I think the state is optimistic. And I think business owners, big and small, are optimistic. So we are looking ahead. I think everyone from entrepreneurs to hourly workers has had a rough 12 or 14 months, but the future is bright for the state and definitely for Columbus too.”
Brent Phillips, one of the owners of the The Garage Pub and Grill , in an interview with The Republic.
Also, in other countries, like Greece, it slowly started feeling like “old times again” thanks to the high rate of vaccinations which brought to openings in the gastronomy sector. “We believe the opening of the restaurants signals the opening of tourism.” said a Greek waiter. People are not only eager to travel again, but also to be able to enjoy a nice dinner and some drinks.
“People want to go out again. They want to enjoy things; for many, there are a lot of events to celebrate that they missed during the past few weeks.”
Georg Steiner, head of food and beverage at the Dolder Grand in Zurich, highlights in his interview with the Financial Times.
Based on a survey from the Oracle Food and Beverage, 78% of the Americans plan to dine out more often, 73% want to use less cash, and 49% would like to be able not only to reserve a table but also to order and pay with their mobile devices.
Mike Whatley, the National Restaurant Association’s vice president of State Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy, sees some major new trends in the post-pandemic period, like an increased focus on sanitation and tech. Many restaurants shift to using new technologies to collect customers' information to optimize their processes and offer their services more efficiently, for example, by digitalizing reservation services, menus, or payment processes. And based on the survey from Oracle Food and Beverage cited before, the need to digitalize the experience and increase the possibilities of using mobile phones also come from the customers directly.
People use their mobile devices more than ever, with 80% of customers searching for restaurants on their smartphones. So, it is not only about scanning a QR code or paying contactless but also searching what a restaurant, bar, pub, café has to offer, where it is located, what kind of ratings it has, etc. Your audience is mobile, and you should be there too. How? With mobile advertising.
Thanks to stunning, engaging creatives, you can bring the entertainment level of your clients to the next level, boosting your sales. Let people see your dishes, drinks, your location, and let them interact with the environment. From virtual reality to the Swipe cube, we have tons of ad creatives in our gallery that can satisfy your needs. Here are several examples of them. Enjoy trying them out, and do not hesitate to contact us for more information 😉