Pizza Today - February 2024 - 36

battery backup can keep the routers
and at least one point of sale station
working. " That way you may not be
able to continue cooking but you
can take payments and close people
out, " Costanzo says.
Taking payments without tech
Costanzo adds that payment processors
also provide the option of
accepting payments with an app or
a reader on a cell phone. The system
might not link up with the POS
system while the power is out, so
the owner or manager would have
to input the information later. " It
could turn into a hassle, but you get
your payments, " Costanzo says.
There have been some widely
publicized payment system outages
lately, due to a lack of cybersecurity
or other issues. In these
scenarios, restaurant owners might
ask customers to pay cash, but many
consumers don't carry cash and prefer
to pay with debit or with credit
cards, often from their phones.
Customers likely won't agree to a
request to write down their card
numbers so the pizzeria can input
the info later. Other options such
as Venmo and Zelle could be a last
resort. These are designed for peer
payments, and customers might
balk at paying the person behind
the counter instead of swiping the
restaurant's reader.
" A good POS system should be
able to take credit cards when the
internet goes down, for a certain
amount of time, " says David
Maloni, principal at Datum FS, a
foodservice supply chain consultancy.
Flour
waits on the container
ship
The POS system also plays a
role in routine operations, such as
informing the pizzeria owner the
amount of ingredients purchased
and the vendors that supply each.
36 / PIZZATODAY.COM / FEBRUARY 2024
That's important for another type of
outage, supply chain constraints. If
one distributor is suddenly unable
to supply an ingredient, the pizzeria
owner should have a backup already
set up. That could be another distributor,
and the operator can use
free apps that keep track of the various
suppliers and prices.
" You need to ensure your ordering
and your check-in system are
efficient, " Maloni says. " Make sure
the right people are checking in
product and you have a record. "
Always have a backup provider
of ingredients, even if that means
having a membership at a warehouse
club store. Instead of panicking
when a distributor runs low on
cheese or flour, the pizzeria owner
can simply step into a club store
and buy most ingredients. " You
have to diversify your suppliers, "
Maroni says. " You always have to
have a backup source that you can
work with. "
Lights out
In the case of a power outage, the
pizzeria owner has much more to
worry about than how to accept a
credit card payment. According to
the National Restaurant Association's
ServSafe food safety program,
if a restaurant suffers heavy damage
from a hurricane, fire, tornado or
flood, it's likely the operation would
have to throw away all its food
inventory.
Some health departments' websites
offer advice on what to do in
the case of a power outage. Among
the tips: consider buying a generator
before the power goes out,
develop an emergency menu that
requires no cooking, and research
the availability of refrigerated food
trucks. During a power outage, stop
cooking, because the exhaust hood
and ventilation systems stopped
working, as did the dishwasher and
any sanitizing capabilities. Keep
refrigerator doors closed to keep the
cold in, and when power is restored,
check the internal temperatures of
foods.
What is covered
Insurance might not cover as
much as business owners might
hope. " Coverage for a power outage
depends on the cause of the outage, "
Larry Warshaw, risk management
director for Intrepid Direct Insurance,
said by e-mail. " It may be
covered if caused by a 'covered cause
of loss,' which is typically a 'direct
physical loss.' Power outages that
originate away from the insured
premises are typically not covered;
however, direct physical loss caused
by any resulting power surge may be
covered. "
Most pizzeria owners have
standard Business Owner's Policies
or Commercial Property coverage.
Check with your insurer to see
what is covered, and how much of a
deductible you would have to pay in
the event of a loss. " There's typically
a deductible expressed in terms
of a waiting period, " Warshaw
says. " However, expenses incurred
that mitigate the loss (shorten the
restoration period), even during the
waiting period, may be covered as
an extra expense. "
Know ahead of time where to get
updates about power and internet
outages. Utilities and other service
providers often post information
about outages on their websites or
their apps. Whether it's a widespread
disaster or a momentary loss
of service, be sure to have protocols
in place for managers and employees.
NORA
CALEY is a freelance writer who
covers small business, finance and lifestyle
topics.
http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today - February 2024

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