We are in an unprecedented moment for our country: the Coronavirus decree of 9 March introduced rigid but necessary measures for the containment and contrast of the spread of the Covid-19 virus, made even more stringent by the new decree of 11 March.
Many categories of workers are unable to carry out their business, and even the catering sector is feeling the pinch. With the exception of canteens and some types of catering, all premises open to the public are required to close until 25 March. A critical moment, which we absolutely do not want to minimize, but we hope some advice will be useful for you so as not to lose heart in this extraordinary moment.
1. Focus on takeaway
The take away is certainly not a novelty in the catering sector, in a previous blog article we had seen how much it was growing and being adopted by more and more restaurants. If before it was already seen as a possibility to increase the covers, at this moment it becomes crucial to continue the activity beyond the times established by the Coronavirus decree in safety.
Even the latest decree confirms that it is possible: " Only catering with home delivery remains permitted in compliance with the hygienic-sanitary standards for both packaging and transport activities" .
A way to keeping sales up during this difficult time is through home and office deliveries. Whether it is you or a delivery platform that manages the orders, it is very important to avoid that the moment of delivery involves too close personal contacts. Online payment, for example, is already an excellent solution. 
2. Improve your online presence
Not even this advice will sound new to you: it is very important for the catering sector to supervise online channels and even more so in this moment of little possibility of face-to-face interaction.
Online there are many video lessons and interesting articles, starting from our blog: we have given some digital marketing advice for restaurant and hotel businesses, done an in-depth look at Instagram and how to position ourselves on search engines . If you are already quite familiar with these tools, then you can take the opportunity to analyze the performance of the different types of content and design new ones!
If you have a strong relationship with your customers, you could organize Facebook or Instagram live broadcasts where you can have coffee or an aperitif together, or create video recipes to share. Leverage online channels to continue nurturing the relationship.
Online resources are really precious these days : many academies and schools are making available video lessons on pastry, coffee, mixology and more, which you could follow or organize a video conference to watch them remotely but together with your staff.
3. Renovate the place
This stand-by moment could be useful for doing those jobs that are normally done during the holidays: in-depth cleaning, painting, material checks. Of course by taking the necessary precautions and ensuring your safety and that of those who will help you: do not crowd the room with collaborators and keep a distance of 1 meter. Furthermore, the large DIY chains allow you to purchase materials online.
And always online you could evaluate some furnishing accessories, if you want to renew the look of the place. Here are some ideas for renovating a bar on a budget . We know it's a difficult time, but we also know that it will pass and our regular activities will soon resume, even more appreciated by those who have had to give up: let us be prepared.
As Techfood we have been involved for 30 years in facilitating the life of those who work in the catering sector, and we are at your disposal for advice on the business solution that can best help you relaunch your business.