It is doubtful that we have to tell you that the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating to the restaurant industry. The far-reaching impact on our economy will have long term consequences that we cannot fathom at this point. Those restaurants that are primarily sit down in fashion have taken the brunt of the crisis to be sure. But pizza has always been known as a carryout/delivery item and now is the time to push that aspect as hard as possible and take it to the next level. Many, if not most, pizza shops have always done pickup and delivery and have perfected the art. Now is the time to step up our game and take it to the next level while doing it safely – for the safety and health of the community, your customers, yourself, and your staff.
Curbside Pickup
The goal of curbside pickup is to keep your customers from entering your shop and maximizing social distancing. The fewer customers you have coming in, the less your chances of germs spreading onto your doors, counters, windows, credit card machines, and employees. Keeping customers in their cars minimizes the risk to them and your staff.
- Only take phone and online orders – no walk-ins. You want to keep all customers out of your building.
- Only take credit card payments over the phone or through your online ordering service. Do not take any cash or accept payment at the time of pickup.
- Have the customer call when they arrive to let you know where they are and what kind of car they are in. You’ll need to educate your staff and the customer.
- Before taking the order to the customer, have the employee wash their hands, put on single-use gloves, and the appropriate mask if possible. Take the order to the car, keeping as much distance as possible and avoiding all contact.
- Remember, the gloves are single-use only, so they will need to dispose of them as soon as they come back into the building and rewash their hands. Disinfect the door handles after every entry when possible.
- If would be wise to have extra staff on hand to help take calls and to constantly be cleaning the lobby, doors, and windows.
Zero Contact Delivery
Not only are we trying to minimize contact with zero contact delivery, but we are eliminating it. The customer will order and pay over the phone or online, the driver will drop off outside their home, and the customer will come outside after the drive has left. The goal is never to have the driver even come close to the customer.
- Only take phone and online orders – no walk-ins. You want to keep all customers out of your building.
- Only take credit card payments over the phone or through your online ordering service. Do not take any cash or accept payment at the time of delivery.
- When the customer places their order, you will ask them where the driver should place the order. If they are ordering online, you will need to have them put this into the special instructions. This could be the porch, steps, chair, table, etc. It doesn’t matter where just somewhere safe for just a moment so the driver can get back to the car.
- Once the driver has put the order in its place, they will knock on the door and/or ring the doorbell and then head back to the car. The customer should wait until the driver has returned to their vehicle before coming outside.
- Make sure the drivers are washing their hands before leaving and again when returning. It would also be a good idea for them to wear gloves on each delivery and dispose of them upon returning each time. Masks would also be advisable.
Regardless of how you choose to do your pickup and delivery, the goal is to minimize contact, maximize social distancing, and to keep everyone safe while providing great food to hungry customers.
We have created two flyers for you to use as a template or mini-guide for conducting curbside pickup and zero contact delivery. Just drop in your logo and shop info and you should be ready to go.
Many states and local governments are requiring businesses to enact written COVID-19 policies that detail the steps that are being taken to protect the employees and the public. Reach out to your local health department for guidance. Be sure you are following all local, state, and federal laws and orders at all times and verify that your procedure is acceptable.
