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Digital kiosks, online-ordering systems shift restaurant experience following pandemic

michigandaily.com · 1,389 words · saved by 1 readers

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit Michigan and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the “Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives” Executive Order in March 2020, employees at Tea Ninja — a boba tea store on East Liberty St. that had only been open for two months — was left scrambling to recover from the loss in sales due to limited dine-in opportunities for customers. Wenjing Fei, the Tea Ninja social media strategist, said they quickly adapted to online ordering with a mixture of feelings. “We (had) no other options but to switch to online ordering,” Fei said. “The platforms helped us a lot (with) reaching customers … But unlike restaurants, we were not a necessity for (customers). The orders through delivery platforms were also expensive on customers’ ends.” Two years into the pandemic, foot traffic has resumed, and students and Ann Arbor residents pack the bubble tea cafe again. Though the demand for delivery has waned, Tea Ninja’s ordering logistics and interior scene have permanently changed:

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit Michigan and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the “ Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives ” Executive Order in March 2020, employees at Tea Ninja — a boba tea store on East Liberty St. that had only been open for two months — was left scrambling to recover from the loss in sales due to limited dine-in opportunities for customers. Wenjing Fei, the Tea Ninja social media strategist, said they quickly adapted to online ordering with a mixture of feelings. “We (had) no other options but to switch to online ordering,” Fei said. “The platforms helped us a lot (with) reach

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