Fast food cooks and couriers in China are giving their temperature readings to customers
Trending News
Along with a speedy meal, those who order fast food in China are now given the names and body temperature readings of the people who cooked and delivered it.
As the deadly coronavirus continues to spread throughout the world, some restaurants have launched "contactless" services. Customers either order by phone, or have their temperatures checked before ordering an in-store touch screen that is regularly disinfected.Yum China Holdings Inc. runs franchises of American fast food chains like KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut in China.
The company's CEO told CNN's David Culver that staff has been holding crisis meetings since the end of January on how to adapt to the outbreak."What's the best way to deal with adversity?" CEO Joey Chui Yung Wat told CNN. "It's to stay calm, protect yourself."The outbreak is drastically changing food consumption in China.
Meituan, one major delivery provider in China, has about 5.9 million partner retailers. Between January 26 and February 8, more than 80 percent of customers nationwide requested the contactless delivery option.
In Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, 95.1% of all orders had requested the service, according to Meituan date provided to Business Insider's Yuru (Priscilla) Zhu.
Companies have also lost significant business due to the outbreak.Yum China Holdings Inc., for example, has had to close a third of its nearly 9,200 restaurants, Wat told CNN.
The company also opened six stores in Wuhan just to feed the medical workers, according to Wat.
"Every great company has a soul inside," she said. "Of course we need to learn how to make money, but in a moment like this we need to learn how to not make money, sometimes."
Standard temperature checks, constantly disinfecting order screens, takeaway only - this is the new normal for many fast-food restaurants in China amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Watch the sweeping measures food delivery businesses are taking to keep customers and employees safe. pic.twitter.com/YraL2Wj4WX
- New Day (@NewDay) February 27, 2020
Copyright © 2021. Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.For reprint rights. Times Syndication Service.
Next