Chef Adrianne Calvo’s Miami restaurant is thriving during a pandemic and she also opened a new restaurant last summer as well.
See her interview and tips for restaurants of all sizes.
Pivoting
When many restaurants were feeling the pain, and giving up, Adrianne Calvo of Chef Adrianne’s in Miami, morphed her business. “We were pivoting on a drop of a dime”. When only takeout was allowed, we only did take out; when seating was only allowed outside, we conformed. They did the best they could to serve their clients by following the guidelines. Given the restrictions in Dade county, a hot spot, they persevered. The key was following those guidelines, keeping their customers safe, and staying connected through social media.
Her advice is to “stick to it and remember why you opened your restaurant in the first place, it’s not easy and you must act fast”. They shifted their focus and indeed acted fast. As long as we persevere we will survive, people will always want to socialize and celebrate.
She created 200 new jobs and, in June, opened her new restaurant by defying the odds. She never thought she would open these restaurants as take-out establishments and now, she is more successful than ever.
What can you learn from Calvo?
- Stay positive and pivot your business
- Offer take-out, curbside, or create pre-prepared food for customers to cook at home
- Stay connected via social media and display your menu online
- Collect data to offer specials for anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays
- Make your establishment feel safe and clean
- Optimize your staff with an efficient POS System
Chef Adrianne reminds us that people will always want to “celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, milestones and just everyday living”. Let’s face it we are social creatures and we will get back to a new normal, whatever that is.
How will you as a restaurant owner pivot? Will you grow your business or change your business model? The choice is yours and we are here to help you grow as we navigate these times together, call us or email us.