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5 Restaurant Safety Tips During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has swept across the nation since the start of the year, causing many restaurants and businesses to close their shutters. As restrictions are beginning to lift, restaurant owners are now being allowed to operate and serve customers.
If you're a restaurant owner, it's vital that the safety and wellbeing of your employees and customers is put first. Here are 5 safety tips on how to keep your restaurant running safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Make Handwashing Mandatory
In the hospitality industry, washing your hands should already be mandatory. Whether you're handling food, serving customers, or going to the restroom, it's vital that you, your employees, and customers get into the habit of washing their hands after any contact. You should place hand sanitizer around your restaurant and put soap in your restrooms which will serve as a constant reminder for those in your premises to wash their hands.
Look for Symptoms
As a restaurant owner, your employees' health and wellbeing should be your primary focus. If any of your team start to show symptoms associated with the coronavirus, it's vital that you act fast and send them home. Should a staff member contract the coronavirus, the risk of it being spread to other employees and customers is increased. Even if a member of your team shows cold symptoms, it's best that they are sent home to isolate. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends that you isolate for a minimum of 7 days.
Limit Food Handling
When it comes to protecting your restaurant against the coronavirus, personal hygiene is critical, but there are additional measures you can take such as limiting the amount of people who handle food in your restaurant. To achieve this, you will need to have a rethink of how your kitchen line operation flows and potentially have fewer staff members involved in meal prep. Make sure that any staff members who handle food are adhering to your safety guidelines and regulations.
Discourage Physical Contact
When serving customers, you should try and discourage as much physical contact as possible. There are several things you can do, such as discouraging the use of cash payment in favor of contactless, as well as installing sneeze guards which can be purchased at sites like sneezeguardez.com. You should have social distancing measures in place around your restaurant and ensure that patrons aren't sitting too close to each other.
Clean Regularly
As a business owner, you will know how important it is to keep your restaurant clean, tidy, and appealing for customers. With the coronavirus pandemic to worry about, it's time to up your cleaning game. The coronavirus can survive on surfaces for many hours, so make sure that you thoroughly clean before, during and after your shift.
Restaurants, bars, and cafes have been hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. As the hospitality industry begins to open back up, it's your job as a restaurant owner to follow the guidelines listed above to ensure everyone who enters your restaurant feels safe and secure.
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