Radical Reconsideration and the Behavior Change Opportunity for Restaurants

Restaurants ranked as one the most dramatically impacted sectors of the economy during the pandemic, right up there with airlines, hotels, gyms and movie theaters. A year later, we see the promise of accelerating vaccination rates, and the lifting of crippling capacity restrictions imposed on restaurants. While we all know in-person dining will return in force (I personally can’t wait to get back to my favorite spots), the tectonic shifts we saw in the industry aren’t going to magically reverse themselves. Consumers are already living in the next normal, and operators need to be ready to keep pace with guest expectations that have permanently shifted.

I’m not alone in arguing COVID-19 has merely served as a great accelerator of changes that were already underway. Tech companies were leading the way in flexible schedules and remote working arrangements to retain Millennial and Gen Z employees, now every industry knows firsthand that it works. My mom might love JCPenney, but even…