On November 5th, following government advice, the UK entered a second lockdown. The hospitality sector has already been subject to months of lockdown back in spring, and once again restaurants, pubs and hotels across England will close their doors until December 2nd. The decision follows the path of the UK’s European neighbours including France, Germany and Belgium. The hospitality sector has already been struggling and had to adapt to the restrictions set in place in terms of operating capacity including a 10pm curfew and the ‘rule of six’ making it illegal for more groups larger than six to come together. However with another month of full closure, the hospitality market is faced with even greater uncertainty and must develop a strategy for business continuity.
An agile future of the hospitality sector
Yet with lockdown underway, it begs an even greater question as to how society may or may not live until a vaccine is found. If we look back to March, when China was at the end of their first wave of COVID19, a paper published in the Lancet Medical Journal explored the need for proactively stroking a balance between restarting economic activities and keeping the viral infection rate low would be the most optimum strategy until effective vaccines become widely available.
Whilst there is great uncertainty regarding the future wellbeing of society, the time it takes to find a vaccine for the virus and how industries will cope and manage, one solution reported in Business Insider could be that countries impose new lockdowns every three months. In short, companies in the hospitality sector may have to start to adapt to an unpredictable climate of continuous lockdowns. So how does a restaurant or bar find business continuity in this new way of living?
Introducing Fokus - a solution to create business continuity for the restaurants and hospitality
Inspired by a mission to help society adapt to new ways of living, Fokus was launched to enable business continuity and help people to carry on in a fast-changing and unpredictable world. By understanding that we will all be embracing new ways of working, living and socialising, one development of the Fokus solution was to provide restaurant spaces that are beautifully designed and can be easily installed as a garden room. Installing a Fokus garden room can help businesses manage safety protocol when it comes to managing consumer traffic and also host intimate events for birthdays of six and wedding parties of fifteen
Once we come through the other side of the second national lockdown, the hospitality sector will once again begin to trade and navigate the restrictions of social distancing when it comes to dining and eating out with friends and family. However, as aforementioned, it is likely that we will be living with COVID19 and managing health and safety for months to come. Due to this, we therefore believe in creating long term solutions for the hospitality sector. Whilst this year has seen the hospitality sector respond to governmental guidelines with temporary fixes and solutions, installing a Fokus garden room can empower restaurants to redefine the experience they offer their customers and manage their space safely.
A personalised, experiential solution for the restaurants and hospitality
Each Fokus room can be personalised to reflect a restaurant’s own unique visual identity, elevating the overall experience for customers. The long term benefits of a Fokus garden room include the fact they are A-grade fire-resistant, mould-free and inclusive of damp-proof materials and weather-proof outer walls. This makes them a safer alternative to conventional garden sheds and a viable long term investment as opposed to a short term solution.
As we navigate the future of the hospitality sector, it is also critical to consider business continuity reflects efforts to be more sustainable. Fokus garden rooms are made from recyclable materials and are eco-driven in terms of operation. All rooms come with infra-red heating which requires low energy consumption and solar power options, thus offering a sustainable source for both low-voltage appliances and lighting.
Whilst we don’t know exactly what the future holds with regards to COVID19, the hospitality sector must begin to consider long term solutions for managing spaces and move away from temporary quick fixes. Fokus empowers restaurants to do just that, whilst also giving business owners the opportunity to define the experience and visual identity of the space they offer consumers. If you would like to learn more about Fokus, reach out to up at hello@breathingrooms.com