Digital Signage and the New Normal Workspace
Part 3: Food & Beverage
Also see Part 1: Office Spaces | Part 2: Schools
Making it safe to work at and visit restaurants and bars again.
Outside of grocery stores, the food and beverage industry has been particularly hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, costing millions of jobs around the world. As communities move deeper into re-opening plans, they are strategizing on how to make it safe for people to eat, drink, and work at restaurants. Some steps have already been implemented such as physical distancing, lower capacities, and face coverings. Those are good, logical first steps, but there is more that can be done to make food and beverage establishments safer. Restaurants and bars can look at grocery stores as a blueprint on how to create a safer environment for re-opening.How Grocery Stores are Using Digital Signage
For years grocery stores have been using digital signage to enhance their in-store experience and attract outside business. They have used a wide variety of solutions from full video walls down to shelf-mounted displays to enhance and emphasize their products and services. Now grocery stores are also using their digital signage platforms to help navigate life in the pandemic. Messaging is an essential component to inform patrons and staff about safety precautions, rules, augmented store hours, traffic flow, and other essential information. Adding touchless hand sanitizers to the network provides another layer of safety that gives uncertain shoppers peace of mind.
Applying Grocery Store Lessons to Restaurants
Food and Beverage protection starts at the door guarding against infection entering in the first place. Restaurants can use digital kiosks to automatically dispense hand sanitizer and take a quick temperature check at the door prior to entry with zero touching. The integrated digital display can be used to communicate a variety of pertinent information on the spot including daily specials, approximate wait time, dining rules, and more. For employees, the hand sanitizer and temperature check help keep a safer working environment. The display can show staff-relevant information such as section assignments, out of stock notifications, schedules, and more.The Impact of Digital Signs for Restaurants and Bars
Digital signs are capable of displaying high definition images, animation, and video, enhancing food presentation. Menus, features, specials, and recommendations can be promoted or changed in real time throughout the establishment. Because the displays can be fully controlled wirelessly, changes can be made quickly without having to make multiple manual adjustments which limits potential employee and guest exposure.
