COVID-19 as a Gastronomic Accelerator
COVID-19 delivered a massive blow to the restaurant and foodservice industry. No doubt about it.
Having been so severely affected both economically and socially, restaurants and F&B industries should not give up, but rather understand that this pandemic can be a turning point and a chance for a rebirth, both for themselves and for their customers. The outbreak of this pandemic has reminded us all of the interest and attention that food carries and we’ve observed new behaviour across the gastronomic world.
We’ve outlined these below and shared our thoughts…
1. Buy Locally, Eat Globally
Today there is a huge sense of community among consumers, who want to support their local businesses and suppliers. There is the desire to help local restaurants and other businesses through these hard times rather than look outside of these groups.
However, as we are all eager to travel, it is expected that people will buy locally, but eat globally. People have been prompted to enjoy food from different cultures and countries they are less familiar with, thus feeling a sense of a journey beyond their borders. All of this is possible at Foodetective, thanks to our updated Delivery and Take-Away channels. We’re offering a huge variety of food types allowing you to develop that sense of the gastronomic worldwide trip.
2. “Discovery of the Adventurous Consumer”
Don’t have a travel passport on hand due to COVID-19? That’s okay. There’s an ever-growing selection of foods and beverages to offer bolder ethnic flavors and multisensory food experiences. Passport or not, it’s clear that food and flavour trends travel faster than ever in today’s connected world.
Consumer curiosity to discover new food and beverages is leading to more unusual and unexpected flavours, empowering a deep interest in multi-sensory dining experiences. Are you looking for some specific cuisine or would you like to travel with your gastronomic tastes while staying at your place? That’s easy! Foodetective can offer you a wide selection of choice in our weekly Guide where you will be able to find different food trends and different cuisine that are at your disposal!
3. The Living Room is the New Restaurant Experience!
Since nowadays the idea of going to a restaurant seems to be far away thought, given the current situation, people are creating the atmosphere of the restaurant in their own living room! Today this is possible thanks to the services that are offered by many restaurants. You don’t know what to eat and you want to look for something refined and different? Foodetective can help you by offering you itineraries, remarks, feedback and reviews that serve as a very useful tool for your to make choices.
If you are looking for something different look at our high-quality reviews written by our “Detectives“. Their reviews and honest thoughts will help you to make dinner with friends or family at your home by transporting them to a real haute cuisine!
4. Makes Restaurants’ Lives much Easier
To survive in the industry today, restaurants must find innovative ways to better manage their services, always paying attention to the needs of their customers. Remember not to see COVID-19 as an obstacle but as an opportunity, as an accelerator to explore new technologies and tools for better management.
There are many platforms able to help the management of your restaurant, so as not to lose valuable time on focusing on areas you know best to keep your restaurant/business operating. If you’re seeking guidance, then Foodetective can provide direction and assistance. This includes both the management capabilities of your restaurant and providing customers a sense of community in the Foodetective world!
5. The Rise of Food Delivery in COVID-19
Food Delivery continues to grow everywhere you look. According to Just Eat Observatory and BVA Doxa who conducted the research, digital food delivery continues to grow everywhere, representing between 20% and 25% of the entire food to door delivery market. In the last year alone on Just Eat, over 30% of restaurants resorted to digitalising their delivery functions, in order to expand operations and clientele. Food delivery requests are approximately 5x times higher during the lockdown periods of 2020. Never before has Food Delivery proved to be as essential as is it today.
6. “Food Mood”
In the same publication by Just Eat Observatory and BVA Doxa, analysis was conducted on consumption behaviour and habits before, during and after lockdown periods. The analysis revealed that differing emotions dictate the choices of consumers when ordering food online and in turn, representing the behaviours, interests and trends of those who order digitally at home. This finding was coined as “Food Mood” and has provided interesting insights in the changing and evolving complexity of consumer ordering and behaviour.
