OpenTable, the popular restaurant reservation app, is pivoting its strategy as fewer people go out to eat and flood the grocery stores amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Steve Hafner, CEO of OpenTable, said that the company is focusing on helping out in these difficult times.
"The most important thing for OpenTable right now is giving back to the community and trying to help our restaurants survive this unprecedented crisis," Hafner said.
One way the app is giving back is by modifying its software to help grocery stores be safer places for consumers to shop as social distancing becomes the norm. The company announced that the modifications do two new things: make restaurants act like grocery stores and grocery stores act like restaurants.
"So, when consumers use the OpenTable app they can find restaurants around them where they can not only get takeout or delivery but they can also find freshly prepared food, bakery products, and even staples like toilet paper," he said. "Instead of having crowds of people waiting to get into a grocery store this allows them to take reservations through the OpenTable app."
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