IMPACT OF INNOVATIVE PRACTICES BY RESTAURANTSTO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS DURING COVID-19 CRISIS

Abstract

COVID-19 has put restaurants’ businesses into danger. Restaurants are not able to do their business and they do not have their customers with them. The pandemic risk is so high that customers do not want to take any risk with their health. Additionally, government and police ban have stopped the movements of the customers. Restaurants were closed down by the legal authority so that more spread of the pandemic can be stopped. As it is a contagious disease, so at any cost people crowd is avoided. The lockdown policy of the government has slowed down the spread of the pandemic but it has shut down the businesses of restaurants too.The primary goals of the research study were to know the situations of the restaurants in pandemic and to find out the innovative practices adopted by the restaurants to attract customers safely to their restaurants without compromising with customers’ health. Total 480 restaurants were selected for the study from Mumbai city. Multiple regression and two-way ANOVA data analysis tools were used to find out the variability in the dependent variable (attract customers) and to know the collective impact of independent variables (private confined table, kitchen food preparation visibility, restaurant’s live camera broadcast, strict hygiene practices, disposable crockery and cutlery, few chefs in kitchen, online orders for pickup, home delivery services, heavy discounts) on attracting customers in the restaurants.The findings of the research study were very positive. The restaurants innovative practices have impacted the customers very positively and customers have started visiting the restaurants keeping in mind the best practices implemented by the restaurants. Customers have attracted more towards the precautionary measures rather than promotional measures such as less price or heavy discounts.