The restaurant industry has been hit with major crises over the past several years, starting with the global pandemic that caused labor shortages, supply chain woes, and inflation that put many in financial stress. Most operators showed their resilience and quickly pivoted and innovated to save not only their reputation, but their livelihood. Unfortunately, others did not fare as well.
Now that the pandemic has subsided, the horizon looks brighter—but you never know when another crisis could arise. While it may not be an issue of epic proportions, such as a global pandemic, it’s imperative for restauranteurs to be prepared no matter what crisis, big or small, comes their way. For example, while getting into a verbal altercation with a prominent blogger over a negative review may seem like no big deal, it becomes a problem when it goes viral and spirals into a media frenzy—and ultimately impacts business.
So, what is a crisis preparedness plan, and how can you cook one up for your concept? Follow this recipe to create a framework and efficient process to respond to internal and external stakeholders—and address their questions and concerns with factual, timely and helpful information.
- Assess the landscape and risk. The first step in building a crisis preparedness plan is to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment. Take a look at your competitors and assess their approach, speed, and effectiveness of the response. These insights will help identify potential threats and stressors specific to your concept and business model and will form the foundation of your plan.
- Develop a framework and protocol. This document will serve as your universal guide and action plan to effectively prepare for, navigate through and evaluate how the organization responds during a crisis. It will prepare team members to act on and carry out effective issues-response protocols according to the severity of the crisis while ensuring the right people are located and contacted immediately to make decisions and appropriate backup team members are identified. Be sure to include a clear protocol for communications between teams and departments, roles and responsibilities for key team members, a reporting matrix and structure such as a decision tree, a set of templates and tools for communications, and how to mobilize a digital or physical “war room.”
- Test it. With a solid foundation in place, it’s time to put it to the test. Set up a dedicated time to simulate a crisis and run through the protocol as if it were real. This will allow you to identify weak spots and make necessary improvements to ensure the protocol runs smoothly when a real problem arises.
And now, when the next crisis hits, you can spend more time on what matters most—ensuring your kitchen puts out impeccable plates and your guests have a wonderful dining experience.
Kellyn Curtis a Senior Vice President in Peppercomm’s New York office. Kellyn is a former journalist turned public relations professional with a knack for developing innovative campaigns. With a strong background in the lifestyle, food and beverage and travel spaces, Kellyn has led successful campaigns that generated millions of impressions for clients—including Tiffany Derry Restaurants, Darden Restaurants, Dole Packaged Foods, Bolthouse Farms, and more.
