What higher ed can learn from restaurants

Few industries have been as hard hit as restaurants in the pandemic. But alongside widespread closures of franchises and family-owned establishments, restaurants have also become the site of rapid business model innovation: there are the reinvented patios and “streateries” lining the streets of cities; the Korean take-out spot, temporarily turned “mobile bodega," delivering bleach and hand sanitizer overnight; and the restaurants offering virtual experiences to accompany take-out orders, like meeting the fisherman who caught the sushi-grade tuna on the tray.

Colleges and universities face their own tough reckoning this fall—with some institutions already suspending plans for in-person instruction and more schools likely to follow in their footsteps. What can higher ed learn from the restaurant industry, not only in how to pivot quickly in a crisis, but about competition, market positioning, and strategy for the long-term?