Restaurant industry's response to Covid-19

Sammanfattning: Purpose – The key objective of this research is to discuss different restaurant strategies that emerged in Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark and Sweden in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and relate the respective restaurant activities to brand trust and reputation. Therefore, the restaurant industry is analyzed with respect to the pandemic and findings are put into context by explaining the countries’ severity of lockdown. The current research contributes to literature on the restaurant industry during the Covid-19 pandemic and encompasses important theoretical and practical implications for restaurant strategies regarding customer trust and relationship. Methodology – Literature review on restaurant industry during Covid-19 in connection with brand trust and reputation followed by case studies of four restaurants in different countries to draw conclusions about undertaken strategies in reaction to the pandemic. Findings – The analysed Covid-19 restaurant strategies distinguish themselves in level of change and communication. Findings are depicted in a 2 by 2 model. Existing brand trust, reputation and strong customer relationship prove to be of high value regarding the restaurants’ organizational performance while facing the challenges of the Covid-19 health crisis. Research limitations/implication – Lack of literature, longitudinal studies and empirical data due to the recency of the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to a small sample size the findings are not statistically significant. Future research on restaurant strategies during and after the health crisis focusing on brand perception have high potential to create valuable theoretical and managerial implications. Practical implications – Fostering brand trust and brand preference in the customer’s mind is crucial in order to face unprecedented challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Originality/value – The current paper is the first research that focuses on comparing restaurant strategies in four different European countries that emerged from the specific country’s severity of lockdown and provides important general and contextual managerial recommendations.