May 2020

TECHNOLOGY
PICKING
UP THE
PACE
With COVID-19
necessitating change
in foodservice, time is
of the essence when
it comes to launching
new technology
BY AMY BOSTOCK
ISTOCK.COM/RAWF8
When COVID-19 hit,
necessitating the
closure – full or partial
– of restaurants
across the country,
operators found
themselves faced with
two options – adapt their business model or
close their doors.
“Takeout and delivery [were] no longer
about additional revenue, but [were] a significant
source of revenue,” says Karisa Marra,
restaurants expert for Square.
And as delivery and takeout quickly
become the new normal for restaurants, technologybecame
a key differentiator.
“We [saw] sit-down restaurants, breweries,
bakeries and cafés all quickly pivot to offer
takeout or delivery options to their customers,”
says Marra. “Foodservice operators needed
to tap into technology to push through
this unprecedented time and their providers,
in turn, needed to step up to make sure they
were supported to do so.”
As uncertainty mounted, she says people
were less willing to venture out, leading to
increases in takeout and delivery, which
forced services to adapt, and quickly. Marra
adds businesses didn’t have the luxury of testing
the technology waters over time, so it was
critical operators chose tools that helped them
get up-and-running quickly, and immediately
allowed them to reach their customers.
“New tech features would normally take
weeks to launch, but with time of the essence,
the pace [had to speed] up out of necessity,
and necessity breeds innovation.
While physical-distancing measures meant
more customers stayed at home, Marra says
restaurants “fortunately had a lot of options
to continue to service them,” such as curbside
pickup and local-delivery options.
“Taking orders online for the first-time
might feel like a big change for a small operator,
but it can be quick and easy,” she says,
adding apps such as Square offered an affordable
way for foodservice operators to create
and launch an online-ordering site forno
monthly fee.
Many foodservice businesses across
Canada quickly found new and interesting
ways to employ technology to reach customers.
For example, Tinhouse Brewing in Port
Coquitlam, B.C. built a digital storefront
for craft-beer pick-up and deliveries, while
Steinhart Distillery in Nova Scotia shifted its
production to hand sanitizer and its phone
didn’t stop ringing. When his local farmers’
market closed, a PEI farmer started hurling
pork products through his car window
to maintain social distance, literally creating
back-door sales.
“Food operators can find creative ways to
keep customers smiling during tough times,”
says Marra. “It comes back to the customer
and serving their needs.” FH
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MAY 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 33