Restaurants are still sifting through the changes brought about by the Covid pandemic, and one of the constants since the very beginning has been the importance of delivery and takeout. As dining rooms closed, operators needed to adapt quickly to meet consumer demands, and off-premise dining options were the top solutions.

Today, delivery and takeout are still widely popular for many reasons. For restaurants limited by dine-in capacity, takeout and delivery hold the same value as they did 18 months ago, keeping an important revenue stream open. For restaurants that are open at full capacity, there are still consumers who are choosing not to eat on-site for safety reasons and would still like takeout options. Finally, customers are used to the convenience of delivery and takeout, and those habits will continue to be profitable for restaurants as we move into a post-pandemic world.

Delivery and takeout create challenges, though. Most operations have a single point of entry where dine-in customers, takeout customers, and delivery drivers all must enter. This creates congestion at the front of the dining room and in the restaurant entryway that can be problematic and inefficient. For safety-conscious diners, it can create unease. This is why it’s important for restaurants that have embraced delivery and takeout to organize front-of-house operations for maximum efficiency, and the right Pickup Cabinet solution can go a long way toward creating that environment.

Meeting the Challenges of Pickup, Takeout, and Delivery

The front-of-the-house flow should be segmented into three different categories. First, dine-in customers should have an easy pathway into the restaurant and to their tables. When dine-in customers are forced to spend time waiting to be seated, it can crowd entryways, so quickly moving those guests to the dining room is an important step.

This leaves delivery and takeout, and in reality, consumers who order takeout require pretty much the same level of service as delivery drivers from places like DoorDash and Grubhub. Customers and drivers both want to enter the operation, quickly find their orders, and move on. When those orders are held in cabinets that preserve heat and help ensure quality, even better.

The main problem then becomes the space itself. Not all restaurants have spacious entryways where dine-in and takeout customers are easily segmented, and certainly, restaurants will be challenged to find room for large pickup cabinets. This means finding a pickup cabinet option with a smaller footprint or one that can be placed on a countertop can make the difference between throwing takeout bags on a countertop or safely storing them in touchless, heated cabinets.

Give your customers the control they deserve.

Today’s diners want control, and that’s one thing takeout foodservice provides. Rather than be dependent on late delivery drivers or uneasy dining rooms filled to the brim, many of today’s consumers what the ability to pick up food when it’s ready and eat it in the safety of their own homes. Learn more about customer control and how pickup cabinets can help provide it.