A patron speaks with the restaurant host, either to confirm a reservation or ask if there’s a table available. Ideally, the host calls upon a server who then leads the patron to a table and takes their order.
It’s a system that worked since the dawn of the U.S. restaurant industry — accounting for 90% of most restaurants’ revenue pre-pandemic — until it didn’t. The single revenue stream model was derailed by COVID-19 related closures, capacity restrictions and transmission concerns.
Restaurants were forced to get creative and many attribute their survival to diversifying their revenue streams. They launched ghost kitchens, scheduled deliveries and assembled meal kits. Though sit-down dining is once again a possibility, many restaurants continue to engage customers, compensate for staff shortages and increase agility by maintaining multiple revenue streams.