With eateries opening up after the long hibernation it’s time to celebrate with a night out.
With social distancing in place, it may mean that people will be more comfortable at the dining table without the elbows of the diner next to them prodding them in the ribs and the person opposite spraying them with food every time they laugh.
It also gives savvy eateries an opportunity to reflect and reset elements in their spaces they may have ignored before lockdown deterred customers.
Eateries need to implement strategies that will get people back to their establishments.
They need to consider new and effective ways to keep patrons there.
We have all had many months of home delivery, for many a new but convenient concept.
We have a new understanding of how comfortable it can be.
Eateries need to consider how to compete, not just with other eateries but with other options for eating, such as staying in the comfort of home and ordering in.
The Age, October 27, 2020 Good Food Guide, said: “The most common complaint about restaurants is not about prices or the food, but about noise levels, or ease of access for those with physical challenges.”
These issues are not new, but the impact is overwhelmingly underestimated and ignored by many eatery operators.
If people can’t hold a conversation easily and hear each other without yelling, and they can’t move around easily and use facilities such as bathrooms, they won’t come to the eatery regardless of how good the food is.
Good access and comfort are not just about a person using a wheelchair.
Hearing, vision and sensory sensitivity are all important considerations for people when eating out.
The support of local councils is paramount if eateries in local areas are going to start to thrive again.
*Copy supplied by Access Institute
