"TO PIVOT" during the Pandemic

A pivot usually occurs when a company/ business makes a fundamental change to their business after determining (could be through market research or significant change in the environment) that their product/ service isn't meeting the needs of their intended market.

This is likely going to happen a lot over the next little while….. 

This story is about change, opportunity, optimism and amazing energy.

I have to share a story close to my heart about a local restaurant business owned by some dear friends of mine who have done just that….”pivot”. And one suspects that this might happen more frequently to small and medium sized business’s than larger one’s, but who knows. 

These owners can be best described as creative entrepreneurs with a healthy dose of calculated risk taking. They are hard working, passionate about their restaurant and food business; have been in the industry most of their working lives, and this couple are both talented in their own regard. One is the amazing Chef, the other a qualified Sommalier and general manager of the business. Two years ago they chose to leave their “leased restaurant business space”, and purchase their own space to create their own brand, and to likely secure themselves a less vulnerable spot in this very competitive industry. And 18 months ago, this new venture was opened with much fanfare, with an amazing culinary reputation, and a space that was most inviting and pleasing to their clients. By all accounts a very successful move in their part, and in large part likely because of a great “mix of business and personal “ ingredients that made this new venture appealing to the public. Then comes our pandemic. 

And as we all know , the restaurant industry is likely going to be one of those industries that will especially hard hit as they start to re-open. And some just won’t for a variety of reasons. Many have temporarily made the move to serve the “take-out” clientele, but not without a cost. In larger centers what is impacting even this business, are the excessively high costs of delivery to clients. Within this smaller community (Prince Edward County), delivery services are non-existant, and most restaurants have relied on clients picking up their orders. A big savings in $$$ for many I am sure. 

Now here is the issue. Many restaurants trying to survive are going the “take-out “ route. All well and good. With the objective of re-opening obviously on a different format to accommodate both safety and social distancing standards, that by the way, will be going away anywhere in the near future. So more challenges to make your business profitable with less space available for clients. Whole other issue…. 

And this particular restaurant and these particular wonderful entrepreneurs chose a different route. Turn the boat around, pick a new business model that will best utilize the wonderful space you just built and invested in, and consider what might be more relevant to the community. A community by the way, that recognizes its past history, and wherever possible, uses that in their business strategies. So here is where creativity and “ingredients” comes in. 

 Building now owned by them was originally the local grocery store. The owner was a woman by the name of “Judy”. Current owners are very familiar and experienced with the restaurant and food industry. They are creative and have a great reputation in the community. There is a gapping need to still cater to peoples fine food tastes but maybe in a different way. How do you go from being at the mercy of the pandemic to making yourselves relevant and an “essential service”? Answer is….. 

You go from a full service restaurant, to a “specialty grocery store” catering to the needs of the community for wonderful food and groceries you can buy (charcuterie , cheeses etc.); wonderful sandwiches and take out meals that people want; having products to sell that might not otherwise be seen in the regular grocery store; using your outdoor seating space for a great outdoor kitchen and eating space; and making yourself relevant “all “ year round. And how quickly do you do this turnaround…..in less than 4 weeks…..

So here is the beauty news. They are still with us guns a blazing. They are going to continue to be relevant to our community. They get to stay in a business space they both love, and the community loves them. They are exceptional because, they saw all of this pandemic as an opportunity. That is not to say that initially like many of us, we saw much doom and gloom, but if you stay in that rabbit hole, that doesn’t help you. They dug themselves out quickly, and like a little gophers coming out of their hole, looked around, observed, made assumptions, took risks , and are going to make the best of a situation that none of us can control. 

I had to share this story because during these crazy times, i hope to see and hear more about folks/businesses like these. Those who see and seize opportunities; don’t get sucked into a bad vortex; know their strengths and their offerings, and are willing to make changes on quite literally a dime. 

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, this story is about change, opportunity, optimism and amazing energy. Their story is about creating success……