As the COVID-19 outbreak reached the entire world, businesses worldwide are left to wonder about the fate of the upcoming couple of months. It is evident that things won’t go on as they usually do and the companies will either have to shut down or learn how to work in the time of the coronavirus.
Since public gatherings now pose a great threat to communities, the food industry has suffered greatly. Restaurants and cafes across the world are forced to shut down and stop offering their services. While some countries have officially declared the state of emergency, some are taking their time and postponing the declaration as much as possible to hopefully soften the economic blow that the virus will inevitably make on these businesses. While some grocery stores continue to work regularly, some restaurants are also trying to come up with a system that would suit today’s situations. This is why so many of them are now offering delivery services exclusively and not allowing people to stay inside. But some critics are saying that this alone is not enough since the delivery process does pose a threat as well.
Which industries were affected?
For the industries that operate online, this outbreak is not that big of a problem since people can still access the websites and either order products, or enjoy the game, or watch a movie. All the malls, big restaurants, concert halls and such have been shut down and all the upcoming big events, no matter how important have been postponed. Digital industries have seen a great surge in their visitors specifically online gambling websites. Since regular casinos have also been shut off, the real online casino is where people look for entertainment these days. These online casinos have seen a massive rise in their daily visitors and while the gambling industry is definitely not in its best shape, just like the food industry, online services could actually save the day.
Mcdonald’s’ solution
Mcdonald’s in India has come up with a solution to keep delivering food and to minimize the contact between the delivery servants and the customers. Mcdonalds is introducing contactless delivery, ensuring that the food does not get touched by bare hands and that during the delivery an adequate social distancing is implied. This could actually be a great way to keep the food industry, specifically restaurant afloat and working, while minimizing the possibilities of spreading the virus. This type of delivery falls in line with the social distancing measures currently active in all countries where the virus has been detected.
Executives at Westlife Development, the company that manages McDonald’s restaurants across West and South India have declared that they have now doubled up the safety measures at their restaurants and are ensuring contactless delivery. During the entire process of assembling the food and taking the order the food is always handled with gloves and now, amidst the outbreak, they have to make sure that these measurements are followed every second of the day in order to avoid any unnecessary contact with the food that could potentially infect the customer.
This practice was always in place but now that the stakes are much higher the secure and the surveillance on the process has gotten much stronger. Because of these events, for the first time maybe ever, all the restaurants are following the guidelines for the clean service impeccably and are making sure that the establishment is clean for the workers and for everyone who might order food from the said restaurant. Mcdonald’s initiative will likely soon become a new normal for the cafes and restaurants worldwide. Since we don’t yet know how long this virus could last. People will need to get used to the new regulations and ways of living, the same goes for the restaurants. This is especially important for the small businesses that are currently facing bankruptcy because people are largely staying home and avoid going to such establishments. If others can follow Mcdonald’s example they could save their businesses and offer the beloved food to their loyal customers.
