Qualitaly_122

APR. MAY. 2021 II healthcare - and economic - emergency). I would like to start with something banal: how much did we dislike going to the bank and waiting for our turn, perhaps losing more than an hour for a simple operation? Today this no longer happens because, quite simply, if you need to do any kind of operation at the counter, you have to make an appointment. The same happens in many other situations, from hairdressers to doctors... not to mention the ‘virtual’ appointments that can be managed on online platforms such as Meet, Zoom and Teams. Nowadays, meeting a customer or supplier, who may be physically far away from us, is no longer a problem. But let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. What has Covid brought new? Have you ever gone to a foreign city and thought about the fact that bars and restaurants are always working, that customers abroad eat at any time? Well, Covid has generated new moments of consumption. Until a few days ago, bars closed early at 6 p.m., which meant that aperitifs had to be served at a different time. Now, however, dinner has to be finished by 9.45 p.m. to allow customers to respect the 10 p.m. curfew. And again, there are many restaurants that before Covid did not work at lunchtime (see Cover Story, page 22). Today they have discovered that lunch could also be a form of business for them (this issue hosts several articles that can give you a lot of ideas for the restart). Well, the time has come to take stock and start again. Let’s try to do so by looking a little further ahead! Enjoy your read. By Lorenzo Morelli AT PAGE 8 IQ MEMBERS Campania and Sicily The context remains complex, also because the evolution of the healthcare emergency does not seem easy to predict. The supply chain, however, is reacting to the crisis by squaring up to the range and diversifying its services. But that’s not all. Operators are raising their voices to demand help and support from the institutions. As shown by the interventions of Cic members active in Campania and Sicily. by Manuela Falchero Meridionale Catering Service Range and strengths Created in 1972 on the initiative of founder Giuseppe Riccio, the company offers a careful selection of catering products built on a quality/price ratio capable of satisfying the most varied needs. A string to the Campania region’s bow is the fast, punctual and efficient daily delivery service, which ensures delivery to the customer’s premises within 24 hours of ordering. Initiatives and requirements to overcome the crisis Faced with the closures imposed by the pandemic crisis, the responses from the industry have not been sufficient. The words of the owner of the Neapolitan company, Corrado Riccio, leave no room for doubt: “It is true that our sector has also been given the possibility of making our employees redundant, but it is also true that no action has been taken to reduce other costs. There were no restrictions on energy consumption, no cuts in rent or contributions. Now the chapter on compensation has been opened, but if everything works properly, this measure will be a laughable intervention that comes more than a year after the start of the pandemic. We distributors, the intermediate link in the catering chain, are practically invisible to the State. On the other hand, in addition to fixed costs, unsold products to be thrown away and claims on our customers, which are now frozen with an optimistic estimate of over 30%, contribute to our losses. The State should have been able to carry out an operation of economic rebalancing, transferring resources from the sectors that, although in emergency, have increased their capital to the more distressed ones such as ours, as well as making it possible to carry any probable shortfalls not only as a loss, but also as a tax credit. However, apart from institutional aid, we must also be aware that it will be up to us to intercept the changes in consumption that are taking place, in order to design a different offer”. If this happens, it will be possible to take advantage of the opportunities that the new normal already offers: expert analyses indicate that the end of the pandemic will also bring with it a reshaping of the frequency of visits to out-of-home venues. This could reward the most responsive players. The Green Pasture Range and strengths Service, attention to customer needs, operational flexibility and a vocation for innovation. These are the cornerstones of the success of this Sicilian company, which for 17 years has been marketing food products to restaurants, pizzerias, accommodation facilities, food retailers, bars and caterers. The company guarantees its customers very fast delivery times, so much so that the goods ordered are delivered in less than 24 hours, covering the provinces of Palermo and Trapani extensively. In addition to this, the company’s deliveries are made using suitable vehicles: vans with partitions are used, which allow transport at double temperatures to guarantee the perfect preservation of fresh, dried and frozen products from the warehouse to their destination. In addition to this, there is the competence and professionalism of the employees in the area. Finally, the flagship of the company’s activities is the factory, inaugurated in 2018 and designed according to environmental sustainability criteria: thanks to a photovoltaic system, the new building contributes to not releasing into the atmosphere about 75,000 kg of CO2 corresponding to about 9,000 trees. From the point of view of the offer, to the wide range of dairy products, cold meats, preserves and beverages, in MAGAZINE