The easing of UK lockdown restrictions stepped up a notch this month, with the re-opening of non-essential retail and outdoor hospitality spaces.
This, paired with some unseasonal April sunshine has seen customers flocking back in their droves to their favourite bars and restaurants. According to the Office for National Statistics, table reservations for hospitality venues increased by 79% on Monday 12 April, compared to the equivalent Monday in 2019. A sight, that for an industry so badly hit by the pandemic, is uplifting to say the least.
But, as we return to some much-needed normality, how do we ensure the safety measures we implement will be long-lasting, and cost-effective in the process?
Less contact or contact-less?
Many hospitality businesses have opted for a combination of perspex screens, PPE and cash-less payment to keep both their staff and punters safe. And for a venue that solely serves drinks, this seems a solid solution.
However, when a food offering is added to the mix, other factors are at play, such as increased wait times and social distancing challenges during peak service, creating a risk of contamination as a result.
Introducing the food locker…
The latest in food technology, food pods are rapidly being adopted by hospitality businesses to offer customers a safe, simple way of ordering, paying-for and collecting food.
For staff, there’s no worry of hot food going cold, or vice-versa, thanks to the temperature of individual lockers being set specifically to cater for the contents inside. From +2°C to +70 °C, every pod has its own air loop, meaning each freshly-cooked dish can be stored in exactly the right environment, warm or chilled. This also ensures no contamination risk between lockers.
Feature or fade
The subtle design of food lockers, alongside an almost silent unit with no moving parts, means that they’re as versatile as the businesses they go into.
Some clients choose to make a feature of the futuristic food pods, and others prefer them to operate in the background. Either way, the benefits are unchanged. Pre Order Pods offer zero maintenance, a long life-cycle and no fire risk.
So, when it comes to pandemic-proofing your hospitality business, PPE and partitions are ideal in the short-term, but food lockers will see you through not only the next government roadmap milestone, but the months and years ahead.
Want to find out more about our pods? Get in touch.
Photo by Tim Douglas from Pexels
