COVID-19, widely known as the Coronavirus, has been the most impactful global event since World War 2. Aside from the vast human cost in health terms, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrashed the global economy, resulting in many record recessionary metrics; including largest stock market value decrease in one day, greatest unemployment numbers, and the largest surge of business closures in the space of four weeks.
The US restaurant and food service industry has been one of hardest hit from the shutdown with layoffs and furloughs expected to reach 5-7million, a little shy of half the industry workforce. Even when the shelter-in-place period concludes, there can be no expectation that there will be a miraculous comeback. Indeed, the concept that the government blows the “get back to work” whistle and we all joyfully skip back to work is regrettably amiss of reality.
As a result of the COVID-19 quarantine, it is clear that, when we do re-open for business, the next twelve months will present enormously adversarial conditions.
Notwithstanding the pending deep recession, which is short of unavoidable, the restaurant and hospitality industry is about to experience the greatest food-based mobilization in US history, from supply chain through to street based operations. Disruption has laced through every part of the industry’s operations and the en-mass grand opening, expected in mid-May to June, will test us all.
As a long term industry consultant, I felt compelled to write this book as an essential guide to help restaurants, bars, and hospitality in general, open their doors to the PC19 (Post Covid-19) era.
In this book, myself and a group of experts cover all aspects of reopening independent and chain restaurant groups, exploring the technical and human aspects of our momentous task ahead, with the singular goal of providing a comprehensive road map to navigating the next 12-18 months; in what will likely be the most volatile and challenged trading times in our lifetimes.
The book shares best practices in opening restaurants, working with vendors, and most importantly, the human aspect of our mammoth task ahead.
The book is extremely personal to me. I embarked with the mission to provide a comprehensive guide on how to open a hospitality business after the Quarantine, yet while writing and collaborating with my colleagues, I found myself looking back over my own career, my highs and lows, and the defining moments that brought me to today. I have included stories of the people I have met that made a difference, discussions about clients, and a few photos of what opening over 800 restaurants and bars across five continents looks like.
While I have been very fortunate to travel the world, this book has been possibly been my most interesting journey to date, and I didn’t even need a plane! You see, as we move through life we live through many different experiences, yet its only when you string them altogether can you begin to define yourself. How we spent our time during the COVID-19 quarantine will stay with us forever, but how we emerge will represent our character and resolve.
My wife and I coined the phrase, How do you Corona? It’s a little silly, but it helped us change our lives from being professional nomads to confinement in one space, days in and days out. We use our silly phrase to describe anything we do behaviorally that protects us from COVID-19, whether its spending time researching or writing this book, through to posting Coronavirus memes and making super nonsensical videos. We talk about this in the book, as this little silly phrase has defined both of us, and we understand that we will need to change our own behavior as we begin the next phase in humanity, post COVID-19.
The hospitality industry has always been my 2nd love, next to my wife and children, it is deeply important that our industry survives and thrives; if this book can help in anyway, then the long hours and late nights my colleagues and I spent working on its content have been more than worth it.
I very much pray that you re-open your hospitality business magnificently and efficaciously. Yes, the challenge ahead is daunting, yes, its fraught with adversary, and yes, the mountain is high. However, history has proven that recovery is the guaranteed consequence from disaster, thus, while times may be hard, recovery is inevitable, we simply have to make it happen!
I wish everyone who reads this book, and the hospitality industry at large a very successful post COVID-19 reboot, and may we all drink together and celebrate our new and improved Post COVID-19 industry, once we have travelled the path of recovery and settle into our new world.
Thank You! Your message has been sent.
Something went wrong, try refreshing and submitting the form again.
Due to high call volume, please leave message on voice mail and we will return your call within 24 business hours