On The Fly Vermont Releases Covid-19 Impact Survey Results
For Immediate Release
February 28, 2022
Media Contact:
Sas Stewart, On the Fly Founder
On The Fly Vermont Releases Covid-19 Impact Survey Results
February 28, 2022 | VERMONT - On the Fly Vermont, a collective of marketing, finance, and food industry experts supporting Vermont hospitality business navigating COVID challenges, has surveyed Vermonters about their preferences, worries, and needs related to dining out to help local bars and restaurants thrive this winter season. This is the first of two dining surveys planned.
On the Fly has worked in partnership with the Vermont Chamber of Commerce to serve the local hospitality industry, free of cost, since September 2020 through a broad range of grant-funded technical assistance projects: such as, building custom websites and ecommerce platforms to full menu and social media audits. Services to date have been provided with funding from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development’s Small Business Recovery Technical Assistance Program.
The first survey was fielded in late Fall 2021. We recruited nearly 600 residents, between the ages of 18 and 79 years old and representing every county in Vermont.
Key findings include:
Half of respondents order takeout weekly. Outside of Chittenden County, indoor dining, delivery, and outdoor dining were significantly MORE frequent weekly activities than takeout.
77% of respondents across Vermont say they are more likely to order takeout if online ordering was offered; the younger the respondent, the more likely they are to order takeout if online ordering was offered.
When indoor dining, waiting to be seated is the least comfortable part of indoor dining across all regions and ages: 33% of respondents say they feel anxious at this step.
Customers are overwhelmingly in favor of COVID-19 precautions when indoor dining, especially expecting restaurant staff to be vaccinated and masked.
Even now, respondents are concerned about COVID-19. Nearly 100% of respondents feel that COVID-19 is still a threat to Vermont (both the local economy and health of residents) and 90% are concerned about unknowingly spreading COVID-19.
The entirety of this first survey and its findings (PDF) can be found here.
The next survey is planned for February 2022 and will be distributed online with help from area chambers of commerce and other Vermont business organizations.
For more information about our findings and how to participate in the next On The Fly survey, please contact Sas Stewart
If you want help implementing business developments, pivoting, or exploring other means of growth, connect with your local Vermont Small Business Development Center Rep and explore this new program that will offer grant funding for technical assistance.
