In April 2018, what seemed like just another Thursday for two men sitting inside a Starbucks in Philadelphia turned out to be one of the worst days of their lives.

After a few moments of sitting inside the unit without ordering anything, the cafeteria supervisor accused them of trespassing. The event escalated so much that the police soon arrived to arrest both subjects, who left the coffee shop in handcuffs.

The public’s reproach was not long in coming, with the hashtag #BoycottStarbucks already trending on Twitter at the end of the same day, and with protests taking place inside the Starbucks facilities.

Just like this one, there can be multiple cases of crisis within a restaurant or coffee shop: the news of a diner’s poisoning, an accident in the kitchen, food in poor condition or even a plague of mice or insects can go viral in seconds, with dire consequences.

As restaurateurs, it is important that you are informed about best practices for handling a crisis situation in a restaurant. In this article we present some key strategies to stay on your feet with your restaurant, even when there is a moment of crisis.

1. Implement short-term plans

We are at a time where long-term plans are quite unfeasible as circumstances are constantly changing. That is why the situation of the company and the industry must be analyzed recurrently and in the very short term, in order to detect problems and be able to react in time. We have been able to see how everything can take a 180-degree turn from one week to the next, and we must be prepared to quickly reorient our strategy when necessary.

With this advice we do not mean that you should forget or change the long-term objectives or the core of the business, but that you should influence those tactics and operations in the short term, identify points for improvement and adapt lines of business to the new circumstances in order to optimize our activity.

2. New business models

You have to be aware of new market trends and adapt to them to survive. For example, if it is difficult due to capacity to keep the room open… Have you thought about offering a complementary delivery service? This business model has grown tremendously in recent months, given the preference of customers to eat from the comfort of their home.

Of course, when opening new lines of business, it is not only worth taking market trends into account, but you should also analyze what it means for your business: resources, capacity and business flexibility to offer it.

3. Constant communication with clients

You have to continue connecting with current or potential customers using all available channels: Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Blog, etc. Today customers are looking for options mainly online, and you must have that presence to capture, attract and retain customers.

4. Internal team management

One of the most important resources of your business is your team, and it is important to be in contact with them to maintain their motivation, make them feel recognized and include them in decisions and in the day-to-day running of the business. A motivated team is one that is more committed, productive and involved in making business decisions, being able to contribute alternative and creative ideas for its benefit.

One of the key points when it comes to maintaining that motivation is open and constant communication that ensures mutual understanding. This is also important so that all the people on your team are aligned with the direction ideas.

5. Technology as the key to reactivating the business.

Technology is being key in the reactivation of the sector, since it is helping it to adapt to the new global normality. Thanks to technology, information can be managed through interactive systems such as chatbots, virtual assistants, interactive kiosks, etc. without the need for direct human contact. This offers customers the security they are looking for, for example, being able to make reservations using their own mobile device.

Similarly, thanks to automation and digitization of customer information and data, you will be able to better analyze their needs and thus make better forecasts and strategic decisions.