It is no secret that Texas has been struggling to keep service and hospitality businesses open during the COVID-19 pandemic regulations period, with little to no relief. For those who were able to weather the storm on the first round of shutdowns, a number of them simply could not hold on through the second wave. Of those businesses, restaurants have seemed to take the heaviest hit with more than 10,000 restaurants closing across the state. Albeit the quick downturn, some Texans have decided to use this opportunity to quietly rebuild for the next wave of consumers. With a noticeable increase in tabletop sales, such as our Bon Chef, Front of House, and Steelite lines, manufacturers have continued to develop these products without so much as a pause. As large numbers of orders come in for plateware and kitchen equipment, we realize a new trend is beginning to emerge over Texas – people are creating new restaurants in place of those that have shut down. And the trend keeps on growing.
Consumers are chomping at the bit to get out in the public circuit and socialize at bars and restaurants. With the allure of life coming back to some form of normalcy over the coming months, new business owners have their sites set on a future – of what they believe will be – will be bustling crowds who are ready to delve into social settings once again. Collectively, it seems we are learning what we can do better and be more progressive. Many new restaurants are looking at what is ahead and preparing hospitality businesses for what just may be perfect timing. The slow period has given them time to construct the physical space and a chance to focus on menu development. If the restaurants need to produce immediate streams of revenue, they are using advanced marketing to promote soft openings, which mainly consist of takeout and delivery.
Due to the crisis, several closing restaurants have gone up for sale at bottom line prices, allowing for inexpensive purchases of buildings or leases, equipment, and fully packaged restaurants. Upon talking with our customers about products they are most interested over the last six months, we quickly realized the substantial number of customers who plan to take over old restaurants. It is a great time to get in on an inexpensive real estate opportunity, offering a way to expand into higher profile locations. Whether you are a food truck, chef, small baker, caterer, or bartender who has high enthusiasm to build a bar, this is the time to invest and get started.
By gathering this new information in a place of uncertainty, we now know there is a positive momentum happening in showrooms across the state and may be finding ourselves in the dawn of a reemerging hospitality scene. With COVID’s breaking down of the current hospitality industry’s infrastructure, it is likely to birth innovation in how dining is experienced. This opportunity could allow us to rebuild the economy in ways we had not previously considered, allowing us to once again enjoy the luxuries of social interaction in hospitality settings.
