COVID-19 has had a huge impact on all sectors, with the hospitality industry being one of the hardest hit. When faced with such a challenging business environment some businesses have opted to reinvent their way of operating to remain trading, and that’s what Tyro customer Impressive Dumplings decided to do.

Founder and Chef Jay Li opened his at Sunnybank Hills restaurant in January 2020 where he serves up a variety of delicious dumplings alongside rice, noodle, and vegetable based dishes. A customer favourite is the tasty and authentic Crispy Pan-Fried Dumpling, where vegetable juices are used to make the dumpling skin.

After a successful start, the restaurant soon felt the impacts of COVID-19 as sales dropped dramatically and the government mandated the closure of restaurants for dining out. To keep his business going, Jay needed to shift his business model completely.

In the first week of shutdown, Jay launched an online ordering service on the Impressive Dumplings website, allowing customers to order deliveries within a 7km radius, or collect in-store. He also set up a points system to reward repeat customers.

In the second week, Jay enhanced his new ordering system further. A self-service ordering kiosk was set up inside the restaurant (complete with automatic hand sanitiser dispenser), allowing customers to make their orders without unnecessary contact with restaurant staff. Additionally, Impressive Dumpling’s packaging was upgraded to maintain the freshness of the food during delivery.

Impressive Dumpling’s second location in Deception Bay was due to open in March 2020. Despite the very challenging business climate, the restaurant launched on schedule – but as a Drive Through service.

At both locations, the team at Impressive Dumplings has received plenty of positive feedback from customers and has seen sales consistently increase. Jay attributes this to word-of-mouth recommendations from locals.