Tork Helps Restaurants Meet Guests’ Hygiene Expectations

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, six out of ten people have higher expectations of the hygiene standard in restaurants and cafés, according to the recent Essentials Initiative Survey 2020-2021 from global hygiene company Essity, the maker of the professional hygiene brand, Tork. According to the same survey, in addition to having greater hygiene expectations, 42 percent of consumers are worried about visiting restaurants and cafés due to COVID-19. With hygiene being top of mind for consumers, it is important for restaurant and café managers to be equipped with tools and resources that help their guests feel safer.

 

Generally, many Quick Service Food and Drink (QSF&D) restaurants have kept their napkins in open baskets. Beyond leading to unnecessary waste, as guests take more napkins than they need, open baskets and traditional dispensers result in more possible touchpoints and a greater risk of contamination. In fact, in a recent survey, nearly eight out of ten consumers stated that they feel most safe using fully enclosed napkin dispensers as compared to standard napkin dispensers.¹

 

The fully enclosed Tork Xpressnap® napkin dispenser system allows QSF&D chains and independent restaurants to: 

 

• Promote hygiene practices, as fully covered, one-at-a-time napkin dispensers protect napkins from dirt, spills and unnecessary contact. 

• Enhance back-of-house efficiency, as the dispenser system needs to be refilled less often than traditional napkin dispensers making it possible for operators to serve twice as many guests between refills.*  

• Reduce waste through cutting the number of napkins taken from open baskets, but are ultimately unused and discarded by more than 50 percent.*

• Digitize menus through the Tork Xpressnap® AD-a-Glance® feature, which allows operators to insert QR codes into the dispenser’s advertising panel, eliminating the need for paper menus. 

 

“Our data points to the importance of addressing the public’s concern for enhanced hygiene standards,” said Alex Tovar, Product Management Director of Napkins & Tabletop at Essity. “Restaurants cannot neglect any detail in the pursuit of attracting guests, whether they choose to dine in, take-out or use the drive-thru.”

 

As awareness of hygiene practices increases, so too does consumers’ interest in takeout and drive-thru dining, rather than eating on-premise. Data shows that 40 percent of U.S. consumers are likely to go to a drive-thru, get takeout, or use delivery even when dine-in is allowed.² Research indicates that this new consumer behavior is here to stay.

 

To cater to the growing needs of a wide variety of QSF&D restaurants, Tork Xpressnap Fit® was added to the Tork Xpressnap system in 2020. The Tork Xpressnap Fit system was created as a game-changing solution for independent restaurants and small chains, thanks to its proven time-saving benefits and compact design that maximizes resources and space. The fully enclosed tabletop and countertop design, with one-at-a-time napkin dispensing, makes the napkin dispensers easy to clean and ensures guests only touch what they take, creating a hygienic guest experience.

 

Tork is also bringing the benefits of the enclosed napkin dispenser to drive-thru and carry-out areas through its latest innovation, the Tork Xpressnap Electronic Drive Thru Napkin Dispenser. The counter and wall mounted dispensers will allow QSF&D chains to enhance their back of house efficiency by dispensing the right number of napkins automatically and quickly for every order, eliminating the need to count napkins while providing both accuracy and speed. As part of the Tork Xpressnap system, the new dispenser uses Tork Xpressnap napkin refills that are compatible with the Tork Xpressnap self-serve tabletop and central location dispensers, reducing complexity and offering additional efficiency benefits.

 

To learn more about how Tork is supporting businesses in securing the new hygiene standard and to download free materials that promote hygiene in restaurants, visit: https://www.torkusa.com/torkcampaigns/corona-virus/napkins

 

For more information about Tork Xpressnap, visit: https://www.torkusa.com/torkcampaigns/tork-xpressnap-fit

 

¹Survey conducted by Technomic in July 2020, with 1000 respondents in the US.

²Survey conducted by Technomic in May 2020 with 700 respondents in the US.

*1-ply napkin in Tabletop dispenser compared to Tall fold (Tork Dispenser: 1TBS and Tork Refill: D3052B).

Elizabeth Kӧlln, Weber Shandwick

 

In this global web survey, conducted biennially, we gather insights from general public from about 15,000 respondents in 15 countries aged 16-85 years. The most recent Essentials Initiative survey covers a wide variety of topics from sustainability, public hygiene, incontinence and menstruation, and general health stigmas. This study highlights attitudes, behaviors and mindsets around a broad range of hygiene and health areas. The field research was carried out December 2019 to January 2020 and was complemented in July 2020 with a deep dive in 10 countries around hygiene and health questions around the coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

The Tork brand offers professional hygiene products and services to customers worldwide ranging from restaurants and healthcare facilities to offices, schools and industries. Our products include dispensers, paper towels, toilet tissue, soap, napkins, wipers, but also software solutions for data-driven cleaning. Through expertise in hygiene, functional design and sustainability, Tork has become a market leader that supports customers to think ahead so they’re always ready for business. Tork is a global brand of Essity, and a committed partner to customers in over 110 countries. To keep up with the latest Tork news and innovations, please visit: www.torkusa.com.

 

Essity is a leading global hygiene and health company. We improve people's well-being through our products and services. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands, such as JOBST, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, Vinda and Zewa. Essity has about 46,000 employees. Net sales in 2019 amounted to approximately $13.5 billion. The headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Essity breaks down barriers for improved well-being and contributes to a healthy, sustainable and circular society. More information at www.essity.com.