The Future of Food Service After COVID

The future of catering after covid still remains a question mark. Between fluctuating predictions, between those who look to the future with optimism, because they believe nothing will essentially change, and those who, instead, imagine a completely different scenario, only one truth remains: at the moment restaurateurs are in serious economic difficulties.

The Covid health emergency has left the restaurant industry in ruins. Restaurateurs are now struggling to make ends meet, closing their businesses and losing their homes while waiting for reimbursements from insurance companies that will likely never arrive.

These are workers with VAT number who must have their salary returned at the end of the month, without the security of a monthly fixed income. And no, it's not the eternal conflict between private and public work, but just the observation that a segment of society is currently in great difficulty, while there is discussion about the state subsidies they deserve.

In the meantime, there are those who have gone so far as to write letters to President Conte to explain that no, let's leave the subsidies alone, better to hope in the citizen's income.

The future of catering starts from the spaces

The total closure of all activities considered unnecessary is creating much havoc in various sectors of the Italian economy. Regarding catering, what are the forecasts for the future of catering? Many restaurateurs with their shutters down will have to worry about reorganizing the entire business, starting from the seating arrangement.

Once the quarantine is over, the safety regulations will not end; the slow reopening of commercial activities, including catering, will be subject to strict social distancing rules, with the aim of avoiding new outbreaks. But what does limiting crowding in public places mean for the future of catering?

The restaurant sector is a rapidly growing industry, with the number of companies in this sector expected to grow by 8% between now and 2021.

Most (77%) countries around the world have restaurants on their menus as it can provide quality food at low prices for those who may not be able to otherwise afford it due to economic or social status reasons which influence how class distinctions still exist today. In some areas where poverty continues to be prevalent there may only be one meal a day served from places like street carts - but if you are willing to try something new, then I encourage you to go this route, as what goes into your mouth matters more!

More food delivery?

A first element of change in the future of catering will have to concern the recalculation of the spaces between tables - less than one meter distance from each other. The repercussions from an economic point of view are considerable, because a portion of customers who, based on the new post Covid-19 regulations regarding capacity, are considered redundant will automatically be excluded.

The second element foreseen in the future of catering is the increase in food delivery. If the trend was going well before the pandemic, during and after the quarantine it seems that the bar will continue to rise in this direction. Home delivery of dishes, however convenient, does not mean lowering your guard. Indeed, food marketing will have to work even harder to make dishes appealing.

The future of catering is in food delivery.As more and more people seek instant gratification, the industry will have to change if it is to remain relevant with consumers who cannot or do not want to wait several hours for their meal to arrive at home - unless these customers find themselves with an abundance of free time on their hands!

What may seem like a trend now could very well become society's standard when considering restaurants in the years to come - that said, there may be some obstacles along the way due largely to cultural reasons surrounding eating habits that vary from one country to another in the world.

The idea that anyone with an internet connection can simply press a button and have the meal they want delivered straight to their home sounds like something out of science fiction, but it might be closer than you think!

If you liked the article, leave us a comment! How are you reorganizing your activities?