“Every cloud has a silver lining! We were in a kind of shock-induced paralysis during the first two weeks of lockdown. That’s only natural. Then we tried to come up with new concepts to keep our restaurant running as quickly as we could. And in the end, the experiences, and the new mindset in us from this special time were entrepreneurially vitalizing and valuable. We have activated our sonamu delivery if necessary, we can also deliver our meals with e-scooters. My team and I assumed that we would have to re-understand and execute the delivery; Rapid learning and understanding of delivery service, more staff and adapted planning of the duty roster, lively internal communication, furthermore a new understanding and "use" of infrastructural features around the two shops (such as parks as an alternative to our terrace, transport connections, parking facilities for self-collectors, etc.) and certainly a lot more. In addition, we invested in social networks in a more targeted manner (advertising); and with use of hashtags like #koreanpicnic, #sonamu_home etc. we animated the guests to picnic in the nearby park or we addressed regular guests to invite them to a complete meal (for photos and uploads on Instagram and Facebook). It meant employing additional personnel to cover the high demand but we were able to make around 70% of our normal revenue during lockdown. We invested the loan that we got as part of the government aid package in outdoor furniture, which was a good decision on hindsight because of growth in demand for outdoor dining. We pressed ahead with the digitalisation of our restaurants, and the networking and optimisation of our processes during recent months. On the whole we’ve learned a lot and we’re better positioned than ever before. One thing that makes me feel really proud from a socio-ethical responsibility perspective is that, as an employer, we haven’t had to make a single person redundant as a result of COVID-19. In fact we’ve recruited new personnel. I’m really thankful to my team for supporting me through the crisis.”

“These past few months have put us in unchartered waters. Initially absolutely everything else was obliterated by the uncertainty and fear surrounding an unfamiliar virus, lockdown, home working and delivery order cancellations. We tried to keep adapting to a continuously changing situation, to draw the right conclusions and, more importantly, to make wise decisions. Sharing experiences with other colleagues and independent business owners was very helpful. I believe the crisis has encouraged a lot of people to change their way of thinking and I hope the experience will put them in good stead for the future. Act wisely, rethink established structures and, more importantly, get rid of everything that isn’t worthwhile – these are all lessons we have learned in this unprecedented situation. The bakery industry is lucky because it’s a system-relevant segment. It meant our wheel kept turning, despite being a little slow at times.”

“It’s been a turbulent few months and an emotional rollercoaster ride. It was important to get regular situation updates and information about government decisions affecting our industry. DEHOGA was a good source of information and our extensive network also helped us to stay on the ball. Digitalisation has proved to be incredibly relevant to success in the restaurant business. Without it, essential technology such as online booking portals, digital dispensing systems, extended check-out systems or kitchen systems for overnight cooking would not be possible. Solidarity with employees and suppliers is also important. And on the guest front: people will be asking more about ingredient origins in the future because of the buy and eat local trend. I think it’s important that we provide that information because transparency builds trust, which is just as relevant as hygiene at the moment. We have to pull together and help each other out so we can emerge from the crisis stronger than we were when we went in.”