As COVID-19 wears on and leaves a lasting imprint on customer behavior, we are continuing our exploration of new consumer dining habits and the safety expectations they demand from restaurants. When it comes to condiments for foodservice, there are clear solutions that satisfy consumer needs and increase condiment serving efficiency for restaurant staff.
Tables Without Condiment Bottles
While condiment bottles could be sanitized between seatings, they can still be considered shared items. And as such, customers would rather not see them when dining in. The majority of consumers (72%) feel that it is appropriate for restaurants not to offer condiment bottles at the table.[1]
No Traditional Condiment Stations
In addition to shying away from tabletop condiment bottles, consumers are also skeptical of traditional self-serve stations where visitors must touch the same condiment pump to dispense their portion. Because they are a common touchpoint, 64% of consumers do not feel that these types of condiment stations are safe.1 Even though overall restaurant cleanliness remains a prerequisite for dining out, consumers are wary of items others have touched.
Condiments by Request
With condiment stations and tabletop bottles ruled out, customers report that they feel comfortable requesting condiments from restaurant staff. When dining in, this could mean specifying items with condiments applied by the staff or receiving dipping sauces in a reusable ramekin. For to-go orders, customers want to request condiments in sustainable single-serve containers portioned by back of house staff. Currently, 80% of consumers think it is acceptable for restaurants to offer condiments by request only and 77% feel that it will also be acceptable in the future.1
A Touchless Solution
To address the apprehension that restaurant customers feel toward shared condiments, the Touchless Express condiment dispenser from Server Products brings superior safety to the dining experience. This new line of dispensers allows the user to dispense condiments, toppings or sauces without any physical contact. They also conserve time and energy for operations dispensing all condiments into to-go containers. A foodservice director who placed an order for 40 direct-pour Touchless Express chose them for this reason saying, “We are currently spending a ridiculous amount of labor to pre-cup sauces. How fast can we get the dispensers?”
Three types of Touchless Express dispensing units are currently available to purchase. Visit the Server Products website to find an online retailer or fill out the form to talk to a sales rep about the available units.
[1] Datassential One Table Consumer Report June 2020
This post is sponsored by Server