6 Smart Pivots Inspired by the Pandemic
A lot of pandemic-related news is dark. Well, most of it. But there are bright spots, particularly when it comes to founders whose smart ideas and gutsy pivots have defied the Covid-19 curse. Remember the mantra “change is good”? These entrepreneurs are living it. They’re making moves that not only boost revenue today but also set them up to prosper tomorrow.
Automats Make a Comeback
Popular in the first half of the 20th century, automated restaurants later fell out of vogue in the United States with the rise of fast-food chains. Today, a New York City dumpling shop and a French-pastry chef in Portland, Oregon, are going back to the future with vending machine service.
After 19 years of doling out sweets and champagne at her Portland restaurant, Pix Patisserie, Cheryl Wakerhauser switched to takeout-only after Covid-19 shut her doors. That kept some money coming in, but the utilitarian service model ran counter to the chef’s creative character. So, she introduced the Pix-O-Matic vending machine to put more fizz into her pandemic-era presentation. “After the whole shutdown came, it just made perfect sense,” she told The Oregonian. Positioned outside her restaurant, beckoning customers 24/7 with a mirrored disco ball, the refurbished Shoppertron 431 takes payment by card only, serving desserts, savory foods like pork dumplings, and novelties such as a Ruth Bader Ginsburg mask. The machine has boosted Wakerhauser’s net profits above pre-coronavirus levels, and she’s planning to add another this week.
Wakerhauser’s instinct is right on trend. Another example is the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop (yes, more dumplings), which is due to open before summer’s end in Manhattan’s East Village. Dreamed up by restaurateur Stratis Morfogen, the dumpling shop’s touchless kiosks, which are located inside a brick-and-mortar shop, accompany temperature-controlled cubbies that hold the food.
Read entire article at Inc. – https://www.inc.com/joe-bargmann/smart-pivots-innovative-reopening-strategies.html