Continue Supporting Your Local Businesses

We can all agree in stating the worldwide outbreak of Covid-19 has caused much distress and confusion across the nation as our usual daily routines have been thrown out the window. We are told to “stay home”, and all the restaurants and bars have been forced to close their doors until further notice.

It may have just dawned on you just how precious those moments were back before lockdown, when you were able to enjoy delicious food with your partner, friends or family in a lovely restaurant environment, without even sparing a thought on how to cook it, or bickering on who is going to do the washing up afterwards.

The daily conversations we have now are, which local takeaway shall we order from tonight? Or, what shall we cook tonight? Who’s doing the washing? We can all relate.

Unfortunately, the lockdown is having catastrophic effects on the hospitality industry, especially small and local businesses – but this is only a temporary measure and hopefully, in a few months’ time, these businesses will be able to recover. But in the meantime, we’re asking for your help, to try to minimise the effects on our local business owners and their hardworking staff.

Your favourite restaurant could do with your continued local support and a boost, below are 6 simple ways you can offer your support from home (and mostly for free).

How To Support Your Favourite Business Tip 1:

Like, comment and share their posts on social media regularly

Blow up your favourite businesses social media with friendly comments, likes, and (hopefully) new followers, when you share their posts and show your own foodie pictures that you’ve taken at their place previously.

Many underestimate this, but word-of-mouth is a vital source of new customers for small businesses. Sharing pictures with friends & family of restaurants you have ordered online from, can help to increase a business’s exposure. We have all seen photos of food on Instagram from friends & family, with some fancy editing, and been tempted!

How To Support Your Favourite Business Tip 2:

If your favourite restaurant is open, make sure you order from them directly

If your restaurant is still offering a delivery or takeaway service during the lockdown, be sure to use it. Avoid placing an order via uber eats, just eat, and Deliveroo. They are charging the business 10%-35% each time they order.

Apps like Deliveroo and Just Eat charges businesses hefty commission fees, so it’s worth checking if the restaurant you are ordering from has their own delivery website (such as an eatPOS online ordering website) before you hit the checkout button.

How To Support Your Favourite Business Tip 3:

Purchase their merchandise or a cookbook

Many restaurants have joined the merch bandwagon in recent years, and a few have even written their own cookbooks. You may be able to buy yourself a nice new mug, t-shirt, or reusable coffee cup with your local restaurant’s branding on it. So you’re supporting them doubly by giving them custom and helping them advertise!

Cookbooks are a great buy right now as you probably have more time on hands inside your home than ever, so it’s the perfect time to practice your culinary skills. By buying a cookbook from your favourite restaurant, you’ll be supporting them at the same time.

How To Support Your Favourite Business Tip 4:

Buy a gift voucher

Many restaurants as encouraging their customers to buy gift vouchers to help support them at this time when they are running on reduced or no income by adding a little extra incentive, such as a free dessert or 10% off your bill when you use your voucher with them. Even if they’re not offering any special deals with their vouchers, it is a nice purchase to make, so the restaurant knows that their seats will have people in them once they can open.

How To Support Your Favourite Business Tip 5:

Write a nice review

Many people only write reviews when they have something negative to say, without truly realising the damage that their voice may have on that business. But positive reviews are so beneficial for small, local businesses and they can go a long way in getting them new customers. Plus, it will give the restaurant and its employees a morale boost to read people singing their praise.

If every person wrote just one review of a restaurant that they really liked, the overall impact would be fantastic, so why not spend a few minutes penning some words about the great food at your local pub?

 

 

How To Support Your Favourite Business Tip 6:

Sign up to their mailing list

Make sure you’re in the know-how by signing up to your local restaurant’s mailing list. Not only will you be the first to find out about when the doors open, but you’ll most likely also get email alerts about special events, discounts, and any menu changes when they are open again.

Our team at eatPOS send our best wishes to everyone at home, we hope that you are all safe and well, in these unprecedented time. The final way you can help your favourite restaurant is by sharing this post. If you have any other suggestions on how to help our local restaurants at this difficult time, please feel free to share these with us. Take care and keep safe.

The eatPOS team have experience with running restaurants and hotels, so they can relate to the businesses they work with when implementing their software and providing their consultancy services nationwide,

If you’re a restaurant, bar, pub, fast food takeaway, street-food takeaway, mobile pop up,  QSR, gastropub, fine-dining venue, retail store looking for software and consultancy services do contact us directly on 0116 3800 299, or by email enquiries@eatpos.co.uk. Alternatively, fill out our contact form here.