Future Prediction and Spatial Consideration of Restaurants for Post-Corona

The epidemic of the new coronavirus has changed the way we think about eating out. Many of you reading this may be eating out less often than before, or opting for take-out rather than eating in-store. The implementation of the Go to campaign has also had an effect, and the market has picked up a little, but the scale of the restaurant market in September is still down by nearly 30% compared to last year! It's a pretty tough situation. Nonetheless, the existence of restaurants remains an indispensable part of everyday life for many people. We will consider changes in the eating and drinking environment that are inferred from the needs of restaurants that have become apparent/accelerated by COVID-19.

Eating and drinking needs strengthened by Corona

While the overall market size is shrinking due to refraining from going out, we classified the food and beverage needs that were on a strong/increasing trend into four categories.
In the following, we will delve a little deeper into each keyword.

① Quality ready-to-eat meals

Due to the decrease in the frequency of going out due to the influence of the corona, the "home meal market" where you can eat side dishes and lunch boxes purchased at restaurants and supermarkets at home has expanded, and the number of restaurants that carry out takeout has increased. There is a sales style that just packs products in a box, but there are also unique initiatives that provide added value other than just taking home.

for example,
・ A lunch box where you can try the taste of a high-end store at a low cost
・Full-fledged family party takeout for people who have small children or the elderly and find it difficult to leave the house for a long time
・A meal kit that allows you to learn about food education with your child
・Take-out sales and picnic set rentals in the adjacent park area
And so on, I want to experience it regardless of Corona! I think that it is a service that seems to be.

Traditional restaurants, such as family restaurants, are based on a store format that focuses on in-house dining. We believe that the basic format for store design will include a refrigerator/freezer for food, a space for display fixtures for handling boxed lunches and deli items, and so on. A little while ago, a style called "grocerant" with eating and drinking space in the supermarket became popular, but in the future, the opposite style, such as a deli corner specializing in takeout, will increase. .

② Reward dining out

I get the impression that people are more particular about choosing a restaurant when eating out and have higher expectations than before, due to the decrease in the frequency of eating out. It is believed that the production of a unique store experience that combines food, service, and space will continue to strengthen as an essential function for "reward dining" that seeks an extraordinary feeling.

for example,
・Chef's kitchen where you can eat while watching the chef's hands
・Unique space design and production ・Spatial experience where you can enjoy a meal surrounded by scenery
・ A bar where you can enjoy an overwhelming selection of products and the techniques of the bartenders
I think the most enjoyable part of eating out is being able to enjoy the taste of professionals that you can't taste at home in a high-quality space.

As the ready-to-eat food market is growing, it is thought that the experience provided by the service and space in restaurants will be emphasized more than ever. In an era where people often look for restaurants on social media, creating a space that looks good on social media and makes people want to go there at first sight is an important factor in creating a restaurant.

③ Smart Pickup Service

Due to the corona crisis, awareness of hygiene has increased, and contactless customer service using technology has increased.

for example,
・Food lockers where you can pick up reserved items
・Completely cashless store
is an example.

Services such as a locker-type coffee shop where you can make a reservation from your smartphone and pick it up are not only contactless and quick, but you can also order your own original customization with one tap, which leads to the expansion of food personalization. In addition, if the cashless system becomes completely cashless, the cash register function will disappear from the store, and not only will labor saving progress, but the entrance function of the store will also change.

④ Multi-purpose co-working function

With the spread of telework, the needs of coworking cafes are changing. Before COVID-19, when it came to remote work at a cafe, I had the impression that people were often immersed in individual work in a space with outlets and an internet environment.
Recently, with the spread of telework, there is a demand for a new "online communication place" that takes into account privacy and allows web conferencing on the go.

for example,
・Phone booth where you can talk without worrying about others
・ Semi-private space where you can hold web conferences without hesitation
・A large personal desk that allows you to work while spreading out your bag and materials
I think we need a space that suits a variety of ways of working.

Until now, many people used coworking cafes when they were out and about, but there are more and more cases where people who do not have a working environment at home use them for a few hours at a time. If working in the city becomes the new standard, double-cropping management styles such as cafes that rent by the hour with free drinks, co-work during the day, and izakayas at night will also expand. By incorporating elements such as "concentration," "relaxation," and "interaction," which have been considered in the design of community lounges in offices in recent years, into the cafe space, the coworking cafe can be used for multiple purposes and is convenient. I think we can evolve into space.

Considering the new normal of restaurants

As a trial to consider the new normal of restaurants, I will summarize the above four keywords into one spatial image.

In addition to operating as a cafe and co-working space during the day and as a restaurant at night, the take-out area has a pick-up window that can be received directly from the outside. As a completely cashless store, we eliminated the cashier space from the entrance and set up a product sales space instead. Standing seats, table seats, and private rooms have been integrated into the store space, and in the future, we will consider a highly variable space that can accommodate even more diverse work styles and situations. If we can incorporate new work styles and lifestyle needs into the possibilities of post-corona restaurants, we may be able to change the conventional concept, issues such as the difference between peaks and valleys, and idle time.

The impact of the coronavirus has had a major impact on all areas, but there must be a new way of space that is born precisely because of this situation. I would like to continue thinking about unique dining spaces that will take the initiative in the future.

<Click here for our track record of commercial facilities including restaurants>

https://www.nomurakougei.co.jp/achievements/boutique

This time, the planners of the group companies "TNP", "SQUARE" and "NOMURA Co., Ltd.", which mainly provide business support for restaurants, have become one team to compile "food and drink trend information in with corona / post corona". If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us from the URL below.

<Introduction of group companies>

TNP: Total support from restaurant opening plans to after-sales service after construction
https://www.tnp-co.jp/
SQUARE: Design/construction of a major restaurant chain
https://www.square-co.net/