New Survey Highlights Diners Primary Concerns As Restaurants Reopen Amid Pandemic

Atlantic Packaging and M/A/R/C Research share the most important elements to creating a comfortable in-restaurant dining experience for customers.

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Atlantic Packaging, in partnership with M/A/R/C Research, conducted a June 2020 survey to explore the features that optimize casual dining guests' comfort dining in a restaurant again amid and following the COVID-19 pandemic. The leading source of package equipment, materials, engineering, and technical resources, Atlantic has expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic to become a leading supplier of personal protective equipment (PPE) for commercial use in restaurants and hospitality environments.

The online survey, “Addressing Diners’ Concerns When Reopening Restaurants,” was conducted among a targeted and representative U.S. consumer audience of 508 individuals aged 18 years and older who were pre-pandemic casual dining guests. The margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level is +/- 0.5 for total respondents.

The survey findings indicated diners' attitudes, priorities, and intentions about returning to restaurants as they reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the survey, nearly 30% of consumers do not intend to dine in a restaurant, compared to about 10% pre-pandemic. The survey examined respondents' concerns toward employee safety requirements, cleanliness, physical distancing, and guest safety, with employee requirements and cleanliness measures being the most important.

The most important employee safety requirement for restaurant dining is staff wearing masks and submitting to daily temperature checks. According to the survey, 99% of respondents find employees wearing masks essential, and 95% want temperature checks. Cleanliness is the second most important aspect to drive in-restaurant dining. The survey found 96% of respondents wanted thorough sanitation of tables and chairs after each use, and nine out of 10 customers wanted hand sanitizer available throughout the restaurant.

The levels of physical distancing most important to guests include limiting restaurants' capacity to 50% and clearly marking 6-foot spacing. 86% of respondents want only 50% capacity, and 80% want 6-foot spacing marked. According to the survey, guest safety is of minor concern, but the measures most important to diners are touchless payments, remote ordering, and the option of outdoor dining.

Rusty Carter, Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic, said, “In the midst of this global pandemic, you need the safety procedures, equipment, and PPE that will help you to continue functioning as a productive business and that will keep your employees safe. We know these items have been hard to come by in the face of unprecedented demand. We’ve worked hard to secure a steady supply of these COVID-19 Safety and PPE items for existing and new customers nationwide.”

Readers can learn more about the survey here.

About Atlantic Packaging

Atlantic Packaging is the market leader in industrial packaging and customized converted products. Headquartered in Wilmington, NC, Atlantic has been guided by its customers’ needs for nearly 70 years. Today, Atlantic Packaging is also a leading supplier of personal protective equipment (PPE) for commercial use in restaurants and hospitality environments.

About M/A/R/C Research

M/A/R/C Research is a marketing research and consulting firm headquartered in Irving, TX. Founded in 1965, M/A/R/C is dedicated to helping its clients create, evaluate, and strengthen their brands. M/A/R/C designs and conducts custom qualitative, quantitative, traditional, and online surveys.

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