Overnight, restaurants and cafes have been told to adjust their day-to-day business models. This task may seem overwhelming, however, with the right equipment, transitioning from full service food business to takeout-only can be more seamless than you'd think.
Even if you have offered take-away in the past, this service now has unique challenges.
Here are my top 4 tips for a better food delivery.
1. Employee safety
At the top of the list is keeping your team safe, so the less contact they have with customers the better.
Make sure all your team are up to speed with current hygiene requirements and if you can find them have plenty of hand sanitiser and paper towels available.
All staff should be wearing Food Handling Safety Gloves, so make sure that you have adequate stocks in store.
2. Food safety
Food safety should already be a major concern for your cafe, whether you offer home delivery or not.
You need to be aware that food delivery brings additional risks. Maintaining correct hot or cold holding temperatures of the food they are delivering becomes a factor.
If you are using a third party delivery service, you still need to control how that food is handled before it is picked up by a driver. Hot food should be kept in a hot food holding cabinet, cold food in a refrigerator.
Note: you cannot simply just leave the orders on the counter and expect that everything will be fine.
3. The food delivery
Next is the delivery process itself.
How is your food being transported?
If it is your own delivery service then make sure you have the correct delivery bags or boxes for your drivers.
How many different orders does your driver take at a time? Do you understand what the food in the last home looks and tastes like?
When using a third party delivery service, know what type of delivery bags they are required to use. Remember, when things go wrong with a third party delivery the blame still gets directed at you, either fairly or unfairly! That is just how it is.
4. Food quality
Your food is your product and your reputation is built on how good your food is.
Do you know how well your food travels?
Many foods are meant to be served immediately upon being cooked which is what would normally happen inside your cafe. So when designing your new menu specifically for take out and home delivery you need to consider what that food might look like at the end of the delivery journey.
What dishes don't travel that well
Deep fried dishes tend to go soggy
Vegetables can wilt
Hamburger buns go soggy
Tip: As a rule hot and cold ingredients should never be placed side by side in the same container for home delivery?
Types of food that do survive home deliveries
Many Asian and Mediterranean style cuisines have this nailed.
Rice and stir fry dishes travel well
Pasta and pizza are always popular home delivery items as well
Salads with the dressing on the side
Cambro has your back
Cambro products are designed to be food safe and support your food delivery quality goals. With Cambro you can give your customers the same satisfaction they got in your dining room when they order your takeout.
You can maintain food temperatures until customers arrive by choosing the Cam GoBox Top Loader. Cam GoBox Top Loaders are compatible with either hot or cold food and are designed to keep food at the ideal temperature and out of the danger zone for at least four hours. The result is food quality that is consistent with your usual dine-in meals. If you want to keep cold foods, like salads, extra crisp, simply add a Camchiller to your Cam GoBox.
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