The Renaissance of Grab-n-Go

In a sense, circumstances are driving this new grab-n-go renaissance. In the age of curbside pickup and carryout dining, when even fine dining restaurants are completely shifting their models to stay relevant and simply to just stay open, how restaurants use their spaces is changing.

In many cities across the country, diners are still not fully allowed in dining rooms. As a result, restaurants are opening up their front windows, their entry vestibules, and even the areas just inside as places where customers can pick-up products. In a way, the front windows are turning into snack bars. And the reality is many of these operations, even as they invite guests back into their dining rooms, will look to continue a carryout or a pick-up program into the future.

It’s not surprising when you think about the math. Restaurants operate on such slim margins as it is, so when you tell an operation they can only operate at 50 or 25 percent capacity, the viability of profitability becomes close to nil. This is where those additional revenue streams will be welcome additions, adding to the general goodwill a restaurant provides by welcoming hungry diners who are looking for cultural connectivity as much as a cheeseburger.