Restaurant Owners – How to Pivot Your Business During the Second Wave of COVID-19?

As coronavirus numbers start to rise again in hotspots like Quebec and Ontario, the restaurant industry – which has only begun to recover from months of shuttered dining rooms – will have to brace for another wave of COVID-19.

Canada’s two biggest cities, Montreal and Toronto, have already shuttered bars and restaurants as hospitalizations rise. And so have Ottawa and Peel Region.

This means customers can no longer dine-in. Even when the lockdown lifts, the government will likely place many restrictions such as a cap on the number of patrons a restaurant can allow at a time.

Most restaurants depend on dine-in customers for revenue. Since the pandemic hit Canada in March 2020, restaurants have struggled to survive. Now they are about to see a repeat of those struggles.

With rent to pay, inventories going bad, restaurants are racing against time for their very survival.

With a complete lockdown imminent for the second time, how can restaurant owners prepare to survive?

Online ordering is an effective way to survive during these difficult times. And that’s exactly what our client, Kings Buffet did.

This Canadian-Chinese restaurant in Hamilton, with help from our restaurant digital marketing team, braced itself for the pandemic during the first round of the lockdown. They quickly pivoted to delivery and takeout by implementing online ordering.

The Transformation of Kings Buffet

With two locations in Hamilton, Kings Buffet faced the same challenges that most restaurant owners were wrangling with during the first lockdown. The owners wanted to adapt to the changing circumstances to survive, keep their employees on payroll, and to keep serving their customers.

We proposed that they take their brick and mortar stores online, where patrons could place take out orders as well as groceries from their online store.

And so began the transformation of Kings Buffet into Kings Fresh, an online takeout and grocery store.

Our Restaurant Digital Marketing Process for Kings Buffet

Step 1: Research and Planning

We began with an in-depth consultation to understand the client’s business, target audience, goals, and vision. Once we got a hold on the project requirements, we put together a web design questionnaire to gather information such as product list, pricing, and inventory.

We then provided photography instructions so the client’s team could take photos of their dishes.

Turnaround Time: 1 week

Step 2: Initial Design Concepts

We kicked off phase 2 of the restaurant digital marketing process with a wireframe of the website. We designed the wireframe based on logic and psychology of user experience.

 

We offered three design options for the client to choose from. We also designed a new logo to appeal to a wider audience (those who are young and open to online food delivery).

Turnaround Time: 2 days

Step 3: Web Design

Once the client approved the design of their choice, we designed the entire purchase funnel (in other words the purchase journey of a user) from landing pages and product pages through to the shopping cart and checkout pages.

We discussed the various options available to the customers – pick up or delivery and recommended that the client offer both options.

We implemented aspects such as cart abandonment tracking and automated emails to those shoppers to increase conversions.

Turnaround Time: 3 days

Step 4: Web Development

After all design changes, we began the web development stage by building the test site on Shopify. Each page was optimized for search engines to ensure the website shows up for relevant search queries.

We tested and debugged any issues that cropped up. We then launched the site to friends and family before revealing it to the public.

Turnaround Time: 5 days

Step 5: Ongoing Marketing

With the client all set to take online orders, it was time to spread the word out. We designed and created Facebook ads and Google display ads to drive traffic to their website.

Orders came pouring in within an hour of launching to the public.

In a nutshell, here’s what we did for Kings Buffet:

• Built a brand new e-commerce website
• Optimized for search engines (SEO)
• Set up Google ads and Facebook ads.

Results

160 online orders and 177 phone calls in the first 3 months!

In the first 3 months, the ads received a combined total of 3,000,000 impressions to bring a total of 13,000 unique visitors to their website. This resulted in 160 online orders and 177 phone calls directly from Google Ads.

The client’s website received visitors via multiple digital channels such as Google ads, Google organic search results, and social media marketing.

Their Facebook page also received numerous Likes, Shares, and Comments after their target audience noticed that their buffet restaurant was offering online orders for Chinese food and groceries. These targeted Facebook campaigns have contributed to online orders as well. They also began seeing more customers returning to their website directly, spending more time on it, and placing repeat orders online for food and groceries.

Key Takeaways

COVID-19 has brought the restaurant industry to its knees but there’s also a key takeaway here. Those who innovate and pivot their business with the changing times are sure to find success.

By launching a user-friendly e-commerce website during COVID-19, Kings Buffet found an effective way to serve the community whilst also keeping everyone safe with online ordering.  

Facebook Ads offer an excellent opportunity to enhance brand awareness and get the word out. Whether you have recently launched your online business or targeting a specific location, Facebook Ads is a great way to improve your online visibility, increase visitors to your website, and generate revenue.

Transform Your Business with Magenta Design

Need help taking your restaurant business online? Not sure how to pivot during these difficult times? We can help. Our restaurant digital marketing specialists will work with you to find a solution that suits your goals and budget. When you want to survive during these difficult times, it’s important to transform, pivot, and innovate. And that’s exactly what we can help you do.

Get in touch with our restaurant digital marketing team today for a free consultation.