Reuters reports that Burger King
Italy, the country in the E.U. hardest hit by the virus, introduced tight restrictions on people's movements and business and shop closures in early March. Nearly all of Burger King's 220 outlets in Italy were among the business closed. Now, two months later, the company is looking for ways to successfully reopen. Like most other fast-food chains and coffee shops, Burger King is worried that social-distancing and fear of contagion could convince consumers not to visit their locations.
"We need to be good at showing people that it's safe to come to a place which is perceived as being crowded, and give them options so they understand there is a safe way to come in," Burger King's chief in Italy, Andrea Valota, said in an interview.
During the lockdown, Burger King, which usually serves 20 million people in Italy each year, had only 40 stores open for home delivery. Italy allowed some 4.5 million citizens to return to work on May 4, and Burger King has been attempting to attract these customers to drive-through points.
The app will begin testing in three of Burger King's Milan locations when they are allowed to reopen sometime near June 1. If the app sees success in these locations, it could be expanded into other countries, as well. The app will allow customers to complete the ordering, purchase, and table booking from the comfort of their own homes. They also have the option to order take away from the app.
Valota said that a third of the tables in each of these restaurants will be reserved for booking between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Due to social distancing restrictions, the capacity of each location will be cut by more than half, according to Valota. The chain has hopes that allowing for booking will help keep its revenues stable. Normally, eating-in accounts for 70% of a restaurant's revenues. Burger King hopes the new system will allow them to reach 50% with the rest coming from drive-through and home delivery.
The chain has also introduced new measures to keep workers further apart while they're in the kitchen. Staff are encouraged to wash their hands at least every 30 minutes, and staff are being divided into teams to limit contact.
