The takeaway industry was one of the few sectors that flourished during the pandemic. Millions of people used food delivery services while waiting at home for lockdown restrictions to end. The number of orders in the last quarter of 2020 in the UK experienced a sharp increase of almost 400%.
Despite the high demand, competition in the industry is still very steep. Especially for smaller businesses finding a way to compete in the market can be difficult. For those who are struggling with the competition, there are a few steps that could help you strive.
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Know your customer base.
Understanding your customers is extremely important for the success of your business. Determine which demographic you are selling to based on the type of food that you offer, the likes, interests, age of your customers and much more.
Another important thing to know is how many potential customers are living in your area. Narrowing down how many people you can serve and how close they live to your restaurant is very important for your success.
Legal requirements
As a takeaway business, you need a catering license. You also need to be familiar with allergens and food labeling. The Food Standards Agency offers courses on these topics, which can be taken online and are free of charge. In order to protect yourself personally and your business, the right insurance cover is extremely important. Fast food insurance can cover damages, personal liability, money on the premises, and much more. Make sure to review all of the details carefully with an expert in the field.
You can find further requirements and useful tips on the government website.
Finding the right supplier
When looking for a supplier, thinking long-term instead of searching for the lowest price can help your business continue to grow. Your customers will feel confident that they can rely on good quality food which will give your restaurant a good reputation.
Don’t neglect loyal customers.
Make sure to pay the same amount of attention to your customers, even if you are confident that they will continue to use your services in the future. After all, they are a large part of what makes your business successful. Train your staff to always greet customers in a polite and respectful way. This will go a long way.
You most likely know how to produce tasty food that can sell. Try to ensure that the quality is always the best and doesn’t decrease over time.
The takeaway industry is flourishing.
This is a good time to start a takeaway business since the demand is so high. For delivery company Just Eat Takeaway.com the year 2021 started out particularly well, according to CEO Jitse Groen.
The company managed to increase its orders in Britain by 96 percent to 63.8 million in the first quarter of 2020.
A part of the reason the delivery industry did so well was that more restaurants served their customer’s takeaway during government restrictions.
Now that things are returning to normal, small businesses can take advantage of the increase in demand.
