40 likes | 51 Views
Restaurants and bars around the world have begun re-opening, which is great news for the industry. The restaurant business was hit hard by COVID-19, especially during the nationwide shutdown. Now, restaurant owners are looking for a safe and responsible way to open their doors to the public again.
E N D
Re-opening Restaurants During COVID-19 Restaurants and bars around the world have begun re-opening, which is great news for the industry. The restaurant business was hit hard by COVID-19, especially during the nationwide shutdown. Now, restaurant owners are looking for a safe and responsible way to open their doors to the public again. If you’re like most restaurant workers, you’re probably struggling to figure out exactly what the rules for re-opening are. Some cities are now allowing indoor dining again; other states and localities are sticking to outdoor dining, or are only allowing takeout and delivery. It can be tough to navigate the rules in your area. But it’s not just about following food safety rules, even though that’s important. It’s also about winning back public trust and making sure that your customers feel confident visiting your restaurant once again. This can be challenging. Fortunately, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has put together some great guidelines for reopening your restaurant safely and securely. Keep reading to learn more about the best way to re-open your restaurant. Evaluating Your Risk Level The CDC says that every restaurant owner should assess their own risk level, so that they can decide what kind of precautions they’ll need to take when re-opening. Not every restaurant is going to have the same risk factors, of course. Restaurants which do only pick up and delivery are going to involve less risk than restaurants which offer indoor dining. This doesn’t mean that restaurants can’t re-open; it just means that they should be aware of their risk so that they can prepare for it! No matter what your situation is, you’re going to be better off if you’re prepared for it.
The CDC says that as a rule, the more people are interacting, the greater the risk of COVID-19 spreading. That’s why the risk can be summed up as follows: Restaurants that stick to drive through, delivery, take-out, and curb-side pick up have the lowest risk levels. Restaurants offering outside dining have slightly more risk than the restaurants which are only offering take out and delivery. Spacing the tables so that they’re at least six feet apart will reduce risk levels. Restaurants offering inside dining have a higher risk level than those which only offer outside dining. Again, spacing carefully to allow at least six feet between tables will reduce that risk. The restaurants with the highest level of risk are the ones which ofer indoor and outdoor dining, but which don’t have spacing between tables. Of course, there are plenty of precautions that restaurants can take to keep their customers and employees safe and comfortable. We’ll describe some of those measures, below.
Containing the spread The CDC recommends a number of steps which restaurants and bars can take to keep their customers and their employees safe. Most of these steps are straightforward, common-sense measures. They’ll also go a long way towards reassuring your guests that you are taking their safety seriously and that you value their health!
Make sure any sick employees stay home. Whether your restaurant is big or small, you have a responsibility towards your employees – and you also have a responsibility towards your customers. Educate your employees about the importance of staying home from work when they have any symptoms of illness. Whether they have a cold, a flu, or something more serious, you don’t want your employees to come to work sick. Not only do they need rest in order to recover and recuperate – they also might spread their illness to your customers if they come in to work while they’re not healthy. If you do have a sick employee, send them home right away. Make sure you immediately clean and disinfect any area that they came into contact with, using professional cleaning products. Your customers will also lose confidence in your restaurant if they notice sick, coughing employees on the premises. Even if your employees feel well enough to work, you need to insist that they stay home if they have fever, cough, sore throat, or other symptoms of illness. Ask them not to come in to work until they have been symptom-free for at least three days, without using medicine to mask their symptoms. Along the same lines, encourage your employees to stay home from work if they have come into contact with anyone who has COVID-19. Make it as easy as possible for your employees to take time off; make sure they know that they won’t lose their jobs because of it. Remember, you goal is to create a safe and healthy workplace where customers will feel confident and relaxed. You can achieve that by making sure that you keep sick employees at home, where they belong.