Restaurants are in a fight to survive during 2020. First facing temporary closure before waiting to reopen. Then capacity restrictions, changes in operating hours, and many new layers of local and state regulations, a huge number of restaurants will never re-open after closing for the pandemic. Also, there’s thought possible re-closure after struggling under pandemic restrictions.
We feel your pain. It’s a struggle to keep morale up and the doors open. With all of the stress in staffing and operating a restaurant, management shouldn’t also have to worry about the overhead music during COVID-19.
What Our Restaurant Clients Are Telling Us
Throughout the pandemic, our staff at Custom Channels has talked to many restaurant owners and managers; operators at single and multi-location restaurants; varied concepts from fast food to fine dining. We’ve heard that keeping the music playing goes a long way in making the restaurant feel and sound normal for both customers and employees. Without music, it’s dreary and quiet, and that’s not a good vibe on top of pandemic anxiety and uncertainty. The prime reasons for playing music for diners and staff have not changed with the virus.
Playing Music Helps Life Feels “Normal”
We’ve heard from some restaurant clients who had to stop indoor seating and only offer take out/to-go food and stopped their music service. Why play music if no customers can hear it. They quickly restarted the music for the employees. Working in a restaurant without music is not a positive experience, and we need all of the positivity we can find in pandemic 2020. Keeping the music playing provides normalcy for employees. And, if the music is right, it makes the job go faster with some fun.
Restaurants that have incorporated increased outdoor seating have found that music can bring some of the restaurant brand’s indoor vibe to the outdoors. It helps mask the unwanted sounds of traffic, noise, and the city. Music, indoors and outdoors, helps cover people’s conversation so that they’re not overheard or distracted by others while sitting indoors or outdoors.
Music is One Thing You CAN Have Control Over
A music-for-business playlist doesn’t require an inordinate amount of effort to use it. In comparison, have you seen the CDC guidelines for operating food establishments during COVID-19? That’s thought and effort!
By working with Custom Channels we can give a great mix of songs for your restaurant without you or your staff having to devote precious time to making it work and sound good. We know you’ve got more on your mind and on your to-do list – and yet having music playing while you work can make the thinking easier.
Finally, music is a low cost item that brings far more value than the monthly fee. Eliminating music has more negative impact on the restaurant atmosphere and morale than it has a positive impact on the monthly balance sheet. No restaurant ever became profitable by slashing music fees.
Music is Essential for Operations
Restaurants need to keep the music playing now as much as ever. All of the benefits of playing music still apply, like setting the tone of the store and keeping employees motivated.
Here are some comments from Custom Channels restaurant clients who wrote to us during pandemic 2020…
- “Thank you again for helping us through this crazy time. You guys are great to work with!”
- “I greatly appreciate your support in these challenging circumstances.”
- “We have appreciated the service and would like to continue it for the time being. Thank you for doing this for your customers. It stood out as above and beyond and has solidified our loyalty even further.”
- “We are very appreciative of your part in helping us deal with the dramatic and significant financial challenges we are facing. It is people and companies like you that are helping us survive this to be able to come out on the other side. This is a big deal. Although it will be with many limitations (like 50% capacity, etc.) we are now finally able to once again welcome guests into our restaurant.”
- “We had to suspend Custom Channels music for the last month or two. We are glad to be back open and using Custom Channels once again. Thank you for your understanding and assistance during the pandemic.”
We love getting such complimentary feedback from our clients, because all of them are going through difficult times for businesses. We’re happy that we can provide music to make the day a little bit better for customers and employees in the restaurant industry.