COVID changed a lot of things to many brands. Food brands were forced to evolve their business which turned out amazing to them as they exposed themselves to a whole new market they never knew existed. Many brands sank but they learnt how to swim. A lot of businesses went online and few got it right.
And the only sector that surprised most economic pundits is (drum rolls please) ‘The Food & Beverages” sector. That’s right. This might surprise a lot of them but the Food & Beverage sector was severely lacking behind & the pandemic pushed many businesses to grow and adapt.
There were many that got it terribly wrong and are still adamant of not trying newer trends. But there are many who got it right. What did they do and how can we learn from them?
- Food Maker
Based in Belgium, Food Maker makes fresh, healthy and tasty food, in a sustainable way without added flavourings, preservatives and sugars.
What they did right
When COVID hit, they immediately had to shut down their Restaurants and had to quickly pivot to Meal Box Delivery. They make it extremely easy to their customers by offering meals online based on their circumstances. Single, couple, family… they’ve got you covered! Check it out details below
They partnered with technologies that give them the ability to creatively offer more options to customers to make it easier and simpler. They created short videos to explain about the product and easy to cook recipes to make them at home
- Goosefeather
Located on a hill in an 1840s-era mansion in Tarrytown, N.Y., as part of the luxury hotel and event space Tarrytown House Estate, Goosefeather sought to bring urban chic to the countryside with eclectic décor
What they did right
Rather than listing two dozen appetizer and entree options, they grouped items and sold them as complete meals which also offered them a chance to streamline the cooking process.
In the early days of the pandemic, Mr. Talde himself delivered the meals. After a few weeks, though, Mr. Talde turned to Uber Eats or Grub Hub for deliveries. He absorbed most of the delivery costs, he says. Luckily, he says, more than 90% of business in March through June involved customers picking up.
- BALLS & GLORY
Balls & Glory is a franchised chain of restaurants based in Belgium. They specialise in stoemp (potato/veggies dish) and meatballs. The brand is modern and vibrant but stays true to authentic dishes of the region.
What they did right
They immediately adapted and became available for delivery through Deliveroo, Uber eats and other similar services. They also gave their customers options for pick-up. This was heavily emphasised on their social media handles. They also showed video footages of their meals being packed and delivered via Insta stories
“We also love the packaging #HereToDeliver – very smart!”
Their chef come online once a week to teach cooking recipes to their customers as well.
- Hangar B
Hangar B, a restaurant in Cape Cod, Mass., depends on spring-break and summer vacationers to drive business. Needless to say, the pandemic has been pretty devastating
What they did right
Hangar B decided to offer box up meals. Their offering was pretty wide spread and along with it offered take out as well. Although they had challenges in the beginning, they over came it and survived the pandemic thus far
Some noteworthy mentions also include brands like Popeye’s, Dominos, Wingstop, Delhaize..and many more who learned how to pivot their business and ace their offerings despite the difficulties pandemic offered.
Trends that flourish are always the ones that offer convenience. The customers always respond to trends that are most convenient to them. We all know pretty well that when all the lockdowns are lifted, things will never be the same again. It's best to always be a brand that is progressive and respond to changing trends.
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