While to-go and delivery ordering temporarily replaced dine-in options for customers, helping to keep food and drink establishments open, eating in is back in business. And as states across the country begin to reopen their economies in phases, it's important for restaurants to follow certain disinfecting guidelines to ensure the safety of their diners.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently released its infection prevention and reopening guidance for restaurants, helping them adjust to the new normal that involves social distancing and stricter sanitation methods. The guidelines focus on food safety, cleaning and sanitizing, employee health monitoring, and personal hygiene as well as social distancing. The best thing for restaurants is to prepare as thoroughly as they can in order to limit more exposure to the coronavirus while offering a quality dine-in experience.
Here are some tips that restaurants can use in order to boost Infection Prevention and limit exposure to COVID-19.
Restaurants should put more emphasis on cleaning surfaces and workstations than previous times. They should thoroughly detail-clean and sanitize entire facilities, especially if it has been closed. Also, there should be a high level of focus on high-contact areas that would be touched by both guests and employees. Seldom-touched surfaces should still be serviced as well to ensure all-around health.
Between seatings, table condiments, digital ordering devices, seats, tables, and seatbacks should all be cleaned and sanitized. These areas are commonly touched and should see a greater emphasis when it comes to eliminating germs. Items like unwrapped straws and lemons should be removed immediately from self-service drink stations.
When it comes to restrooms, they should be checked regularly. Furthermore, supervisors should dedicate full-service cleaning times to make sure bathrooms are scrubbed from top to bottom.
This is probably the most critical part of disinfecting and reopening restaurants post-COVID-19. Customers will want to see stricter hygiene practices in action as their biggest fears continue to center on who's preparing and serving their food and drinks. What's more, it matters to employees coming back what systems are in place to keep them and everyone else safe.
Restaurants should make sure to let their workers know that they need to stay home if any signs of illness come up. From a cough that won't go away to signs and symptoms of COVID-19, it's better to be safe than sorry. At minimum, it's important to follow CDC guidelines by telling the employee to self-isolate for seven days from the onset of symptoms and be symptom-free for three days without any medication.
Per CDC recommendations, face coverings have been shown to be very effective in limiting exposure. These masks can mitigate risk for customers while keeping employees safe in close environments. All employees should be trained on the importance of frequent hand washing and the use of hand sanitizers with at least 60-percent alcohol.
While these tips won't completely solve the issue regarding germs left on surfaces, they can at least help to limit the risk. Being proactive in cleaning can reassure customers that they are in good hands when they're wanting to finally get out of the house and enjoy a meal at their favorite stop.
At RMS Hospitality Group, our expertly crafted policies are written specifically for the hospitality industry. We offer custom-tailored solutions to meet any venue's specific needs. For more information, contact our knowledgeable experts today at (888) 359-8390.
At RMS and associated firms, business continues as usual. Our staff is remote-capable and available to handle all partners, brokers, and insureds at the present time.
