Research Methodology.

Mixed Methods- our team worked to marry qualitative and quantitative insights to enable storytelling for our stakeholders that they felt confident in.

Qualitative data was garnered through 93 phone interviews, and the quantitative data was gathered through a Qualtrics survey with ~2,000 responses. The qualitative data was transcribed and coded into themes based on the responses. These themes were analyzed individually, and then similar themes were combined. The quantitative data was analyzed by looking at the survey results and identifying statistical significance, and outliers to understand behaviors and themes.

Our findings + Recommendations.

We presented to local restaurants, local officials, and entrepreneurship groups to foster a sense of shared resources and information that assisted business owners in faring the hit that the pandemic caused operationally, financially & mentally.

Summary of Findings

Safety and supporting local were the top factors in choosing a restaurant for most respondents except the older generation, who chose safety and quality as the top factors. One respondent shared, “I’m unsure how it is safe or effective to open up at such low numbers.”  

Traditional factors like convenience, price and social experience were less important in choosing a restaurant during the pandemic. Over 66% of people responded they were more concerned with the health and well-being of people in the community over the economy and business. One person shared, “I don’t think it’s safe for patrons.” While another said, “not doing so will greatly damage businesses and local economies.” 

Out of 12 different safety measure options, 65% of respondents chose five or more safety measures that would make them feel most comfortable dining in. One interview respondent said, “restaurants need to reopen, with added safety measures.” In the qualitative interviews we uncovered most people were unaware of the CDC guidelines, despite saying they knew them. Several people commented, “I’m unsure if masks are required.” The top six safety measures respondents wanted to see were: 

·   Hand sanitizer 

·   No / limited waiting area 

·   Temperature checks for staff 

·   Contactless ordering 

·   Disposable menus 

·   Contactless menus 

Most people prioritized local and safety when choosing a restaurant. Specifically, with fine dining and casual dining, respondents prioritized local when choosing a restaurant. There was an overall discrepancy with the definition of “local”, as respondents could have different perspectives of what local means (e.g. locally owned, local ingredients, etc.). There was not a consistent response from the qualitative interviews. Not only were respondents more likely to prioritize local, they also have gone above and beyond in supporting local. People shared they had done more takeout and curbside, tipped more, and had purchased gift cards. One respondent shared, “I tip more, have purchased gift cards and brag about restaurants on Facebook.” Another one commented, “we have increased the number of times we normally get takeout in a week. We have exclusively gone to local restaurants and I have venmo’d staff that have recently been laid off.”

Practical recommendations 

Based on these findings, the collaborative team of faculty, students and the ASBTDC have the following practical recommendations for local restaurants:  

• When developing a marketing campaign, or putting messages on social media: 

• Consider that most people still feel “unsafe,” empathize with their feelings and recognize them.  

• Reinforce safety protocols in all communication; potential “seal of safety” as a visual cue, or post specific pictures of employees adhering to the guidelines 

• Collaborate on regional approach to safety measures (e.g. “wear a mask”, #staysafeAR,etc.) 

• Leverage “local” loyalty in marketing – share stories of resilient owners, highlight “locals supporting locals”.  

• Leverage Facebook and Instagram as primary platforms for communication, but take note that regular website updates are important  

• Be vocal on all mediums possible. Regular and communication is appreciated by respondents regarding new operations/protocols. 

• When considering services:  

• Use incentives to drive dine-in services prior to August (e.g. specials, new services, etc.) 

• Engage consumers in unique experiences (e.g. virtual happy hours, reimagine waiting rooms and server interaction, etc.) 

• Consider outdoor seating as an option 

• Tap into Facebook live cooking events or Instagram live 

• Prioritize physical signals of safety, including masks and gloves  

• Opportunity for branded masks 

• Opportunity to showcase full range of services offered within each of these establishments 

• Consider new services (e.g. family takeout options, make your own meal kits, etc.)