The restaurant has limited seating in order to follow social distancing 
guidelines	to	protect	patrons	and	staff. To	manage	guest	numbers	and	prevent	
congestion at the restaurant’s entrance, guests must make a reservation or 
sign up on a waitlist using the Yelp smartphone app. Contactless menus are 
accessed via smartphone using QR codes, and all servers and other 
employees wear masks. The big pivot: Find new ways to 
do business 
Traditional business and operating 
models have taken a beating amid the 
pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. Organizations that relied on packed 
gaming tables, full dining rooms, sold-out 
arenas, or a steady stream of tourists, 
business travellers, wedding guests, and 
conventioneers must now find a way to do 
business without the usual crowds. They 
need to pivot toward new offerings that 
make sense for their customers and  
their business. Many restaurants shifted to online 
ordering and home delivery once dining 
rooms were ordered to shut, and some 
have reimagined their business further. Some are offering do-it-yourself meal 
kits, providing both a delicious meal and 
the experience of preparing it with the 
restaurant’s expert guidance. Others are 
considering transforming into so-called 
ghost kitchens full-time, abandoning the 
dining room in favour of home delivery 
alone. Confronted with the daunting 
economics of running a restaurant at 
mandatory half-capacity, it’s likely that 
many more restaurants will seek to 
augment their traditional offering in the 
months ahead—or move away from  
it entirely.