Restaurants cannot offer a dine-in service during a pandemic. However, there is going to come a day when restaurants are permitted to open for dine-in service. If you own a restaurant, you need to ensure you are keeping your staff and customers healthy in the event of another outbreak. Here are four ways you can improve the sanitation of your restaurant during an outbreak.
Hand-Washing and Face Masks
It has always been important for employees and even customers to wash their hands, but now is the time to increase the hand-washing protocol within your establishment. Your employees should wash their hands before and after handling an order. You also want to hang signs that remind your customers to wash their hands before and after their meals. If necessary, you can require everyone to wear a face mask when they are not eating.
Regular Cleaning
A regular cleaning is essential to sanitizing your restaurant during an outbreak. Everything from your dinnerware to your counters should be wiped down between customers to keep them clean. It never hurts to reduce the number of people in your establishment to ensure there is time to wipe everything down before the next customers arrive. You may even need to block off some booths and tables for a quicker cleaning session.
Stainless Steel Appliances
Stainless steel appliances are always a great idea when creating a clean, healthy restaurant. There are not any pores or cracks on the surface to accumulate any bacteria. It is not necessary to spend a fortune on your appliances. A used stainless steel three door commercial freezer is healthy enough for your restaurant. You do need to keep your stainless steel appliances clean, but you do not have to worry about a build-up of bacteria.
Reduce People Based on Symptoms
Another way to improve the sanitation of your restaurant is to reduce the staff as needed. If anyone is showing symptoms, not feeling well, or tests positive for the Coronavirus, remind them that they need to self-isolate by staying home. You also want to place a sign at the entrance reminding customers that they need to stay home if they are showing symptoms, feel sick or test positive. You may not want to reduce your staff or customers, but it is necessary for slowing the spread during an outbreak. To encourage employees to stay home when sick, you may need to offer paid time off.
When you take the time to improve the sanitation of your restaurant, you are creating a safe, healthy place for your staff and customers during an outbreak.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan
