Dine-out experience in Bhubaneswar to change post-coronavirus lockdown

Concepts of pre-order, cloud kitchen and digital payments are likely to get more popular in Bhubaneswar post the lockdown period.
For representational purposes. (Photo | Pexels)
For representational purposes. (Photo | Pexels)

BHUBANESWAR: The hospitality norms are set for a change in Bhubaneswar after the lockdown ends. From digital menu cards to screening of visitors at entrance, most hotels and restaurants have charted their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) to keep the virus at bay.

Sticking to the guidelines issued by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), they are utilising the lockdown period to come up with safe models of operations.

As a result of the changing norms, physical menu cards or booklets may go off the table at several dine-in facilities. Some restaurants are mulling over replacing the existing menu cards with digital ones, while others may opt for disposable single-page menu sheets.

Taking a cue from the FSSAI guidelines, some restaurants are considering to take pre-orders from the guests over the telephone. "We are working to prepare the SOPs. We will go digital as much as possible. We are mulling over accepting orders prior to the arrival of the guest for a fixed time slot. As soon as the guest arrives, the food can be served to him or her within five minutes so as to reduce the customer’s wait time at the restaurant," said  Debasish Patnaik, a prominent restaurateur.

The seating arrangements at most restaurants and hotel lobbies will be reconfigured to ensure safe distancing among guests who will be served by gloved and masked employees. The management of a luxury hotel in the City has directed its room service staff to record the temperature of resident guests twice a day. Even for the non-resident guests, the temperature will be checked at the entrance.

"A guest check-in self declaration form is in place which covers Covid-19 symptoms. Any guest indicating these symptoms will be required to undergo a medical examination prior to check-in," read the SOP issued by a luxury chain hotel. 

Some restaurants plan to focus on accepting payments through digital mode only. "Prior to lockdown, around 70 per cent of our transactions at the outlets were done digitally. Now, our priority is to encourage the customers to pay through  digital mode only. We will offer them discounts to achieve 100 percent digital payment target," said Anup Bajaj, owner of a chain restaurant. 

Another restaurant owner, Akashdeep Singh claims to have already collaborated with a food delivering app for providing no-contact dining experience to guests. "The guests will have to place orders through the app before they arrive. Our staff will place the food on table just a minute or two before they enter the outlet," he claimed.

The concepts of cloud kitchen and online delivery are likely to get more popular in the City. "You need less staff for running only a master kitchen which can be operated from a single room. Even during lockdown, we delivered minimum 30 orders a day by employing three staff only," said Sarthak Patnaik, one of the founders of a cloud kitchen here. Meanwhile, restaurants are also mulling over reducing the items on their menus for at least six months.

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