Using TV Sports To Increase Foot Traffic

How restaurants and bars can create safe places for fans during the pandemic

The pandemic shut down most televised sports at the same time as restaurants and bars. That was a hard hit. But now, as major sports organizations are about to start new seasons, restaurants and bars are planning their reopening.

Although the spread of COVID-19 is still a concern, a return to normalcy is awaited by guests and restaurant owners alike. So long as you take precautions to ensure the safety of your customers and staff, you can get back to serving great food and provide an opportunity for guests to watch the game with friends and family.

A New Look for Game Day

Before opening your doors to fans consider what steps you'll take to adapt to the pandemic condition. Many state and local agencies have set up guidelines and resources for businesses open to the public.

Some basics steps to take are:

Regularly disinfect equipment and commonly used surfaces. Anything touched by a customer should be cleaned before it is used again.
Reduce the number of customers within the restaurant. Restaurants must not exceed a level of capacity decided upon by the state.
Distance tables at least six feet apart. Additionally, adjust TV screens to ensure everyone in your new floor plan has a great view of the action.
Reduce the number of items on the menu. This will streamline the ordering process and allow staff to manage sanitation requirements.
Use disposable menus to limit the possibility of spreading the infection as much as possible. This also saves your servers the hassle of disinfecting every menu after use.
Provide additional training to your employees to emphasize the importance of washing their hands and using gloves when handling food.
Offer employee protective masks and gloves. Ensure that your employees disinfect or replace their mask and gloves regularly.
Provide disposable masks for guests that do not bring their own, and ensure all dine in guests know to wear a mask while not seated.

The CDC and individual states have set their own regulations and guidelines to follow, so consult local resources to provide safe service for your guests.

Sports fans have waited almost a year to get back out to sports bars and restaurants to safely enjoy the game. Adjusting to these new regulations may seem daunting, but through proper staff training and sanitation you will be able to tackle this challenge.

Court Customers with Exclusive Promotions

After you have followed the local, state and CDC requirements for reopening, you need to inspire your guests to return. By offering promotional events and game-day meals, you will have the opportunity to entice the locals to come in.

When your customers feel you've taken steps to address their safety, they will be more than ready to get back to cheering on their favorite teams and enjoying the food they love. Here are a few examples of exclusive offers you can offer your guests:

Themed meals: Offer customers limited time menu items named after sports teams or players. Consider different exclusive specials that would be available for different sporting events.
Exclusive combos: Offer an exclusive combo of an entree and drink for a discounted price during the game.
Discount programs for customers that wear team jerseys: Customers that wear a local team’s jerseys receive a discounted price for their order.
Design promotions around the game: provide happy hour prices and discounted merchandise during halftime.
Rerun parties when a game is rescheduled or cancelled: Even if a live game isn't available, fall back to recent highlights and offer specials to keep up the game day atmosphere.
Build loyalty programs that reward guests for multiple visits. Set higher point values to exclusive items offered during popular games and events to incentivise customers.

Rezku POS is here and ready to help you get back to doing what you do best. With Rezku POS, you have everything you need to reopen with these goals in mind:

Set discount presets to allow your servers to quickly apply discounts to your customer’s orders.
Use happy hours to set flexible prices on your products. During the set hours, your prices will update automatically.
Easy to use menu tools allow you to fully customize your menu. Build combo meals and other special offers for your guests.
Use the Customer Relationship Manager to track customers and loyalty points. Customers that spend money with your business can earn loyalty points which they can later redeem for exclusive offers.
Print QR codes for tables that allow customers to access your online menu straight from their smartphone. Guests can then complete their order online, and checkout all without directly interacting with your staff.

Summary

With sports season easing back into action, sports themed bars and restaurants have the opportunity to get back to business. Now more than ever, customers are looking to return to normalcy and get back to the way things were before the pandemic.

By taking the CDC and State mandated precautions, you can get back to serving customers on game day. In order to comply with social distancing requirements, service might look quite different than normal. However, by following distancing guidelines, you will alleviate customer’s fears of infection and entice them to return to your restaurant.

After you've gotten the attention of your customers, it's time to earn their loyalty with exclusive offers. Coordinate game day events, and design promotions that reward guest participation. Offer discounts and team themed meals to engage your customers and get them thinking about their next visit.

With all of the tools provided with Rezku POS, you have everything you need to reopen in time for game day. Set discount presets to allow your servers to reward customers quickly and easily. Happy hours can automatically adjust your prices which saves your servers the time and effort of adjusting prices manually.