Report: Healthcare food service operators ‘cautiously optimistic’ during coronavirus pandemic, share solutions

Datassential’s findings, based on secondary research and an operator survey fielded March 25-26 with 426 operators, start by taking the temperature of healthcare operators’ collective mood during this unprecedented global crisis. For healthcare foodservice, there is good news—albeit cautious good news: 45% of healthcare operators are “cautiously optimistic; expect our operation to come through this stronger than ever.” The largest group, 55% of healthcare operators, are “worried, but fairly confident our operation will get through this in one piece.” Exactly 0%, that’s zero percent, of healthcare operators report being “very nervous that our operation will not be able to come back from this crisis.”

This is where healthcare foodservice’s outlook as an industry differs from other foodservice segments. Compare the above figures to the same questions asked to all foodservice operators: Only 22% report being cautiously optimistic, 65% are worried but confident and 13% are very nervous their operation will not be able to come back.

According to the report, “healthcare operators may be facing a new normal but their business is less likely to see longer-term impacts than other food service segments.” This is due largely to the fact that “people will still need healthcare, employees will still work at those facilities, and people will still want to visit. Habit changes during this pandemic are much less likely to turn into long-term patterns, compared with the disruption other segments are seeing (such as restaurant delivery).”

Related:Healthcare dining trending: Feeding patients battling coronavirus, plant-based foods make impact

Read on for more key findings on what healthcare operators say are their biggest concerns and their best solutions.

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