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2021: A year of innovation for the F&B industry

The main issues that arose in the restaurant market at the genesis of lockdown was that of social distancing and close contact. In an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, governments the world over instituted lockdowns, denying the restaurant industry the ability to operate.

But this industry has always been resilient and able to deal with external shocks. Franchisors and franchisees worldwide began to look for solutions to the problems brought by lockdown, and some are flourishing as a result.

When social distancing was the issue, many restaurants adjusted their processes to allow food to be placed on an area of the restaurant premises where customers would avoid any close contact with employees.

For a lot of legacy franchisors, they have been successfully operating on the same business model for decades. But the pandemic exposed weaknesses left behind by distancing measures, and many responded to this with drive-thrus. They were a relatively low cost, low tech and simple method to allow franchisees to serve their customers once again, but through a drive-thru window.

It’s not just what’s new; older restaurant concepts have been rediscovered and reinvigorated for the modern world. Automats were well-frequented across the U.S. but waned in popularity with the growth of fast-food giants in the 1970s. Taking advantage of the current situation, automats have the potential to re-establish themselves in the fast-food market for the future.

Many of these innovations are here to stay, as they improve customer service and operational management from the perspective of the franchisee.

Jon Taffer’s Safe Dining System

Jon Taffer, the star of Paramount’s Bar Rescue and hospitality industry expert has developed a new franchise concept, Taffer’s Tavern, that is centered around providing all guests with an equally enjoyable experience, whether dining in-store or ordering to pick up. In collaboration with Carter-Hoffmann’s heated Pick Up Cabinet and Perfect Company’s technology solutions, Taffers Tavern offers a relevant solution to current problems in the restaurant industry, as well as a vision of how they can be in the future.

“When I created Taffer’s Tavern, I built a business model that included a clearly defined expectation and protocol for each restaurant when it came to safety.” Jon Taffer, founder of Taffer’s Tavern

“That became known as The Taffer’s Safe Dining System. Concurrently, I created the Kitchen and Bar of the Future that was held to these same strict standards.

“At the bar, all glassware is cleaned using CO2 glass frosters to instantly chill and sanitize the glass upon contact. And with to-go and delivery being so important right now, my patrons and delivery drivers don’t even have to enter the restaurant to retrieve orders via our thru-wall contactless pick-up cabinet. To name a few. My goal was to make Taffer’s Tavern (by Jon Taffer) the safest restaurant franchise brand to date, and with our safe dining system in place, I believe we have accomplished that.”

Technological solutions appear to be the best way to safeguard customers against unclean practices and Taffer’s Tavern has invested heavily into this concept.

Fransmart is the global leader in franchise development, and the exclusive franchising partner for Taffer’s Tavern.