As you know, getting into the restaurant business means facing ever-changing customer tastes, tricky government regulations, and, for some, a whole new world of delivery.
It’s why we decided to establish our Restaurant Advisory Committee. Comprised of a combination of 16 Skip representatives and influential restaurant owners from across the country, the goal is to listen to what you’re experiencing, what you need, and how we can help.
Why we started it.
As Skip’s Rodell Bautista, Regional Sales Manager Western Canada – Prairie Region, explains, “It was an opportunity for us to engage with a select group of restaurant partners across the country. To have a good conversation about how we can move forward together, how Skip can be more in tune with the restaurant industry, and what we can do in the future to evolve and become the restaurant’s best partner.
And the idea wasn’t only to have voices from all over Canada but also voices from very different kinds of business. “We recruited restaurants from coast to coast—a broad spectrum of restaurant owners. We have fine dining establishments, some restaurant-bars, brunch destinations, from single location owners to multi-location owners. All independent restaurants.” Bautista explains.
What we’ve been hearing.
Since 2019, at each of the committee’s regularly scheduled meetings, attendees are invited to share challenges and concerns—and together, come up with ways to help address them. For business owners who thrived on making in-person connections with their clientele, it was no surprise that a big question mark many had was moving into a digital space.
“A lot of their concerns have to do with the impersonal nature of doing business online, Bautista says. “The restaurant is the most personal business you can get into. There is nothing more connected than hosting somebody, especially for restaurants that never had delivery in their purview. Not having control of the customer experience at the end of the line is very new to them.”
Some of the other topics that have been discussed so far include:
• Promotions available through the Skip Portal
• Staffing challenges coming out of the pandemic
• Delivery by Skip and orders generated through direct channels
• Localized marketing initiatives
• Self-serve functions on the Skip Portal
As always, we do not share pricing information or any commercially sensitive information and all RAC meetings are held in compliance with applicable competition laws.
While our meetings have been held virtually, we do hope to one day hold annual in-person meetings where we can share ideas and great food in equal measure.
What our members are saying.
Our Restaurant Advisory Committee was designed to give a voice to restaurant owners across Canada. So, what do they have to say about being a part of the committee?
Gil Carlos, the owner of Calgary breakfast favourites, The Bro’kin Yolk, Bro’s To Go, and Morning Brunch Co, says, “Being able to connect with other like-minded restaurateurs has been a breath of fresh air. We’ve had similar problems, and because of these meetings, we have been able to discuss the challenges we face and solve them together with the help of SkipTheDishes. With these RAC meetings, it feels like we are truly in a partnership with SkipTheDishes. I feel like Skip has listened to our issues and implemented changes that truly help the restaurant.”
And Jesse Kupina, owner of Central Social Hall in Edmonton says, “I have really enjoyed being a part of the Restaurant Advisory Committee with SkipTheDishes. I appreciate the collaborative working approach with the provider. Being able to share best practices, ideas and even criticisms have helped both our delivery operation and bottom line with Skip.”
Interested in becoming a part of our Restaurant Advisory Committee?
You can reach out to us at [email protected].
