1. NEW BUSINESS MODEL FOR AN UPSCALE RESTAURANT
In the face of uncertainty, the Seattle restaurant Canlis thought strategically and adjusted to the new environment and its demands. The restaurant transformed into three pop-up restaurants: a drive-through burger joint, a bagel shop, and a “family meal” delivery service.
The idea originated with the restaurant’s co-owners, Mark and Brian Canlis, who along with their team, started redesigning the restaurant in anticipation of the state’s announcement. Donated fryers have helped to keep up with the daily demand for burgers, and a shipping container was set up in the restaurant garden, where the bagels will be made. Previous servers will act as delivery people, meaning all 115 employees have been kept on (although this isn’t compulsory).
“You have to play as much offence as you do defence . . . So what would we look like from scratch?” Mark said of his approach.
2. NEW VIRTUAL STOREFRONT PLATFORM OFFERS FREE ACCESS TO RETAILERS
If shoppers can’t visit the high street, why not bring the high street to shoppers? That is the idea behind Streetify, an e-commerce platform that launched in late March, just in time to help businesses respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
With shoppers forced to stay at home, Streetify is hoping its website and free app will help connect consumers with local stores, to help keep them afloat. It is also providing retailers free access to the platform for one year in the U.K., U.S., Canada, India and Australia.
Users of the app and website can actually choose the street they wish to visit and can scroll left or right to “walk” up and down. They are shown virtual storefronts and can click on any store to enter its Streetify website. Once inside the “store”, consumers can see all of the special offers, deals and promotions that have been gathered from top deal sites such as Groupon and Rakuten. Business owners can also put messages in their virtual storefront windows, announcing deals, delivery options, in-stock goods and more.