How fast food franchises are adapting to Covid-19
A lot of businesses will be hard-hit by extended lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Some that will see a lot of customers as people grow weary of being cooped up at home and want a quick bite without having to cook are fast food franchises. Of course, there’s a lot of things those fast food places will have to alter, removing contact if possible and eliminating dine-in service. Here’s what they’re doing.
Still open. Still fryin’. So says the KFC website. Drive-thru and takeaway are still open, and delivery via Menulog and Deliveroo are available, with delivery ordering possible through the KFC app. However customers order, KFC are encouraging contactless payments when possible to limit possible spread of the novel coronavirus. “The health and wellbeing of our customers, team members, and the community are the No. 1 priority,” KFC Australia CEO Nikki Lawson said in a statement. In addition to extra santising and hygiene standards in the stores, employees are being asked if they have taken their temperature and feel OK to work as they clock in. Whilst workers preparing food wear gloves as normal, workers at other stations are not, in an effort to avoid creating a hot, damp environment for microbes to thrive. Workers are washing their hands after any cash transactions. KFC are also trialling a system for online order and pickup with food being delivered in the carpark rather than customers coming into the store or waiting in the drive-thru.
Macca’s added new contactless payment methods for in-store (before they closed in-store dining), drive-thru, and McDelivery. Delivery via Deliveroo and Uber Eats is available in select areas. Check out if you’re in the delivery zone here: https://mcdonalds.com.au/mcdelivery. Preorder is available through the mymacca’s app. Not only are the regular menu items to be had at the drive-thru, you can also get 2- or 3-litre bottles of milk, English muffins, and bread rolls, which might save a grocery trip. “Our contactless service removes any need for touch contact between our employees and customers, making it a safe way for people to get food and drinks, as well as these essential basics,” McDonald’s Australia said in a statement. They’re also offering a free small McCafé or medium soft drink to healthcare workers in uniform or showing a healthcare ID as a gesture of thanks.
The newly launched Care Kit contains a loaf of bread and 2-litre milk jug for $8, available through Uber Eats. Just like McDonald’s, Coffee Club is trying to save shoppers from making a trip to the grocery for just the basics. Customers can order the Care Kit for themselves or have it sent to someone else (be sure to give them a heads-up!) and even opt for contactless delivery. The Care Kit is available whilst supplies last, so there may be periods when you can’t order it. Pickup in-store is still available, with preordering on a new Coffee Club app featuring rewards points and a free coffee on sign-up. Coffee Club also offer delivery via Menulog and Deliveroo. New ready to eat items include a vanilla bean brookie (cookie-brownie hybrid), Funny Buddy cupcakes, and Nutella croissants.
The burger chain has also released a new app for takeaway preorders and delivery via Menulog. App users can shake in the app twice a day for giveaways, with 30 minutes to redeem rather than the usual 20. Healthcare workers can show ID in-store or in the drive-thru throughout May for a free medium coffee or soft drink, or a Mount Franklin water. The new Fresh Choice menu items showcase low-carb sandwiches and burgers with lighter, smaller buns, and salad options. If you want to jam in as many carbs as possible, there’s also the new Cheesy Bacon Chip Butty with thick-cut chips in a sesame seed bun.
In addition to increasing cleaning and sanitising, especially of door handles and card machines, the sandwich chain is offering free delivery via Uber Eats on orders of $15 or more with promo code SUBWAYATHOME. Customers can also order delivery from Deliveroo. Online ordering for regular orders and catering is still available. There are special offers for those registering an account. The company is also providing financial relief for franchise owners. “Subway has been looking at a variety of ways to financially support our owners during this time, including actively negotiating with lenders, landlords, and suppliers to ease immediate financial pressures,” country director Chris Churchmichael said. “We are also supporting franchise owners by freezing fees, to provide more cash flow at a time when they need it most, during the worst of this crisis. Subway has waived all marketing fees and will collect just 50 per cent of royalty fees, with remaining fees deferred until after the crisis. We will continue to monitor the impacts of coronavirus and consider further measures to support our franchise owners.”
For each delivery order placed on the chain’s website between 5 and 9 p.m. from 31 March-6 April, Red Rooster donated the cost of a meal to Foodbank Australia. Reds deliveries through the website and app are now all contactless and cashless. Payments can be made by card or PayPal. Drivers are ringing the bell or knocking before leaving the food at the door. Anyone diagnosed with Covid-19 is welcome to order but asked to inform the store of the situation in the delivery notes.
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