It dawned on me as we begin to emerge from the chaos of the pandemic, that an important factor in finding your new normal is based on your relationships, old and new. From your back of the house and dining room teams to your vendors, the question is how can we help each other?
For us at Imperial Dade, we also look at the collaborative agenda that we have built with key trade associations to help guide our customers back into the new normal. With that in mind, I reached out to Andrew Rigie of the New York City Hospitality Alliance to get his thoughts on where we are headed as an industry and how to get there.
Through his role as the Executive Director at the NYC Hospitality Alliance, Andrew has had a first-hand look at how the restaurant and hospitality industries have been forced to adapt their approaches during the past year.
In talking with Andrew about his Alliance members, it is clear to us that takeout and delivery will never be looked at the same way again. What might have been an okay pre-pandemic solution like an inexpensive foil round tin, simply won’t cut it anymore.
As we chatted, it became apparent that in many cases, the new definition of hospitality in New York City includes both the aesthetics of the packaging and its impact on the freshness and crispness of the food that has come to represent your brand over the past year. Soggy french fries and a cold burger send the wrong message as you get ready to welcome back many of these folks. As Andrew emphasized the financial stress that can be created by third party delivery fees, we understand how important it is that we shop the national marketplace to find packaging value for our customer base in Metro New York and across the nation.
In addition to packaging decisions that affect the quality of your take-out and delivery food, restaurants also need to make other changes with the return of indoor dining. During my conversation with Andrew, we discussed how for a long time New York City has a had very strict and clear, quality and sanitary standards for the kitchen/back of the house. Through the use of their letter grade system and a punitive view on any cleanliness or sanitary violations, New York restaurants have been held to high standards. Now, due to the pandemic that emphasis on a sanitary environment needs to be replicated in the front of the house. With that comes the need to educate restaurant owners and staff on how proper cleaning and disinfecting impact the health and safety of anyone inside their establishment.
What we have tried to impress upon our customers at Imperial Dade, is just how vital it is that your entire team understands the products and procedures used in cleaning for health. It is not complicated, but it is not intuitive. Overuse or incorrect use of chemicals will have negative effects on people and the environment. There is a need for education and awareness, and we are working with the New York City Hospitality Alliance to share this information with all their members. We are here to help.
Among the most important observations that Andrew made is that we are in fact all in this together. We talked about the countless cases in which restaurateurs and their vendors have partnered for the greater good. For some, it involved closing their restaurants and feeding front line workers and those less fortunate in their time of need.
At Imperial Dade, we agree that by collaborating with fellow industry professionals including the New York City Hospitality Alliance, we are poised for great days ahead. As we begin to see the light at the end of tunnel, we as an industry need to come together and make decisions that are not only beneficial to our bottom lines and customers, but also to our environment. Careful selection of packaging and other foodservice supplies along with the prudent use of cleaning chemicals and disinfectants will have a positive impact on the environment, which includes human beings.
With the Restaurant Revitalization grant funding imminent, it is a great time for all of us to reset. So don’t forget to reach out to your local associations and ask how you can become part of the solution.
