OpenTable, Author at opentable.co.uk blog

#StayAtHome: A lockdown survival guide for foodies

OpenTable April 22, 2020

Looking for ways to shake up your quarantine routine? There’s more to lockdown life than Netflix and banana bread! Here are 10 ways for foodies to keep busy, support restaurants, and plan for the future.

Treat yourself to a takeaway. Need a break from cooking? Support local restaurants by ordering delicious dishes, sweet treats, and even cocktails to enjoy at home. We’ve teamed up with Deliveroo and Uber Eats so you can find restaurants in your area offering delivery and collection. There’s never been a better time to try a new cuisine or enjoy a themed food-and-movie night.

Find ways to help out. There are lots of ways you can give back to your community in these difficult times. You could offer to pick up some essentials for relatives or neighbours that can’t get out or make a donation to charities like FareShare or Meals for the NHS. Why not reach out to your local food bank and see if there are things you can donate?

Start a restaurant wishlist. Keep track of all the places you want to try or revisit once lockdown is lifted. If the restaurant is on OpenTable, you can tap the ‘Save This Restaurant’ button on their profile to add it to your favourites. This is the ideal time to do your research and find the perfect restaurant for your next anniversary, date night, or family lunch. Consider buying gift vouchers for future meals so you’ve got something to look forward to.

Plan your next foodie trip. Just because you can’t travel now, doesn’t mean you can’t start planning your next adventure. Whether you fancy tapas, sushi, or tacos on the beach, the possibilities are endless. Pin the places you want to visit – museums, markets, restaurants – on a custom Google map, and when it’s time to fly, all you need to do is pack your bag!

Skip the supermarket. If you can, skip the stressful supermarket queue and support smaller independent shops and local delis instead. You could try a new delivery service – lots of restaurant suppliers (like Natoora) are now doing home delivery, as are local fishmongers, butchers and wine shops. If you’re in London, The Infatuation has a great list of restaurants selling fresh produce and supplies – Quality Chop’s pies are top of our list!

Plan the perfect foodie day out. What would your ideal foodie day look like? A visit to your favourite farmers’ market? A Sunday roast after a long walk? Or a date night dinner and cocktail crawl? Map out the perfect foodie day so you’re ready to go once things are back to normal.

Cook the books. Got a stack of cookbooks you rarely cook from? Challenge yourself to cook a recipe from each one or create a 3-course feast from one of your favourites. You can keep kids busy with jobs like stirring or meatball rolling or get your housemates to shake up cocktails for a home happy hour. Why not support your favourite restaurants by adding their cookbooks to your collection?

Host a virtual dinner party. Lay the table, pour yourself a glass of wine, and invite friends and family to a virtual dinner, lunch break, or brunch party. To help you set the scene, we’ve created a #VirtualDining Instagram filter so you can add a restaurant background to your next Instagram video chat. If you miss catching up over dinner, this is the next best thing!

Plan a staycation. In the UK, you don’t have to travel far to find good food. Check out which food festivals are running later this year or plan your dream staycation, whether that involves camping, country walks, or exploring a new city. If you need some inspiration, take a look at some of our favourite UK beach breaks, restaurants with rooms, and foodie hotels.

Stay social. Stay engaged and show your support by following your favourite chefs, restaurants and food bloggers on social media. You’ll be rewarded with cookery demos, virtual tasting sessions, pub quizzes, workouts and more! You could also take a few minutes to write a review and spread the word about your favourite places to eat.

Have you got any quarantine tips to share with fellow foodies? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page.

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OpenTable adds restaurant delivery across new markets

OpenTable March 31, 2020

OpenTable has partnered with Deliveroo and Uber Eats to offer delivery options at hundreds of restaurants across the world including those in Australia, Mexico, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, through the OpenTable app and desktop site. The global launch follows the introduction of this delivery feature with Uber Eats and other local partners in the US and Canada in 2019.

We are committed to helping and supporting our restaurant partners globally in these uncertain times. The partnerships with Deliveroo and Uber Eats will enable diners to select and order a restaurant quality meal in just a few simple taps and have it delivered direct to their door. This gives diners the opportunity to continue supporting their favourite eateries, whilst bringing a much-needed additional revenue source to the restaurant.

Andrea Johnston, COO, OpenTable said: “Restaurants are a vital part of our communities, and we hope these partnerships will help support restaurants with additional revenue sources and give diners access to restaurant quality meals to enjoy at home during these difficult times.”

When searching for a restaurant or visiting a restaurant profile page on the OpenTable app or via opentable.co.uk, diners will now see a ‘Get a delivery’ button alongside the usual table reservation option. Diners who choose delivery are then directed to either the Deliveroo or Uber Eats site to complete their transaction. This launch will see more than 3,000 restaurants offer delivery through OpenTable.

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OpenTable’s recommendations on how to support restaurants through COVID-19

OpenTable March 17, 2020

In these unprecedented times due to the spread of COVID-19, restaurants are among the hardest-hit businesses. OpenTable data shows severe declines in business, and many have been forced to close, laying off employees in the process. Others have remained open, following rapidly changing local regulations surrounding delivery and take-out.

One thing is clear: Restaurants need our support. Here at OpenTable, we are working around the clock to assist restaurants through as many channels as possible. Here are a few ways you can safely help:

Order take-out and delivery

Many restaurants offer take-out or delivery. Check their website, social media or delivery companies to see which ones are offering these services and order your next restaurant-quality meal to your doorstep.

Buy gift cards

Buying gift cards now helps your local restaurants to keep paying staff and bills during these times.

Spread the word on social media

Use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to show how you are supporting restaurants right now. Tag @OpenTableUK, and we can amplify those messages. Spreading the word through social networks could encourage others to do the same.

Everyone’s health and safety is our first priority. We urge everyone to stay informed — World Health Organization and other local government sites regularly update their sites — and to take the recommended precautions.

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OpenTable on restaurant impact from COVID-19

OpenTable March 15, 2020

Hello — Andrea Johnston here, chief operating officer of OpenTable.

I wanted to personally reach out about the current situation. The COVID-19 pandemic is making many of us stay home and our community of nearly 60,000 restaurants is facing a severe reduction in diners.

Reservations stayed stable in February with a big increase on Valentine’s Day. But March brought new health and safety concerns around the world. Looking at comprehensive data from restaurants on our platform — across online reservations, phone reservations, and walk-ins — we note sharp declines over the last week. We’ve summarised this data below, as well as in a report of more detailed industry trends. We expect to refresh data periodically:

In the United States and United Kingdom, we see a 20 percent reduction in total seated diners vs. last year. (All declines cited here are on a year-over-year basis.)
Mexico and Canada are down 15 to 17 percent.
Things seem to be getting worse quickly, though. Yesterday, the U.S., UK, and Canada all declined by around 30 percent.
At the city level, diners are down approximately 45 percent in Seattle, 40 percent in San Francisco, 30 percent in New York, and 25 percent in London, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

Please support your local restaurants during this turbulent time, as they are a vital part of our communities. Many operate on thin margins and fear staff layoffs and shut downs.

You can also support restaurants by purchasing gift cards (where available) or by ordering take-out or delivery. Many restaurants that don’t usually offer these options are making exceptions.

Restaurants are already required to operate under the strictest health codes and are monitored at the local level — but we are seeing many of them go above and beyond. They are taking swift action to protect diners, such as by distancing tables and dedicating staffers to full-time sanitising.

To help our partners we’ve prepared guidance on how restaurants can handle downturns in business. We’re working with restaurant associations in their discussions for government relief. Finally, we will soon share daily information on dining trends via a public website until this crisis passes. We are all in this together.

I hope all of you stay safe and healthy. Thank you — Andrea

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