COVID-19- The Restaurant Industry Must Evolve to Stay Alive with strict stay-at-home orders in effect and limited businesses open, carry
out, and delivery are the only options permitted to foodservice operations. Now, as states begin to open their economy, restaurant owners are looking for ways to create a safe environment for their guests while adhering to recommendations by state and federal guidelines. There are many factors restaurants want to consider before reopening, including cleanliness and sanitation, to-go and delivery, social distancing, and updated menu options. What we expect to see in the coming months: 

Face coverings and gloves: All restaurant staff may be required to wear some type of face mask including, staff in the back of the house and the front of the house. All kitchen workers would be required to wear disposable gloves. Whether or not guests will have to wear one remains in question. Currently, most states have ordered restaurants to turn away customers who aren’t wearing a mask. 

Sneeze guards: Not only for use at buffet stations, sneeze guards, or acrylic barriers may also be seen at the checkout stand as an extra measure. Having a partition may not be a bad idea either. 

Contactless payments: Say goodbye to cash handling (for now) and say hello to more contact-free payment options. This includes accepting payments by phone, online, or through a mobile app.

Limited occupancy: With the term “social distancing” now ingrained in all our minds, it will come as no surprise that restaurants will limit the number of people that enter at a time. States across the country are mandating a 50% occupancy rate, and some states are preparing to reopen restaurants at 25% capacity.

No physical menus: Laminated menus will most likely no longer be available and will instead be replaced with single-use, disposable, paper menus to mitigate the spread of germs. Updated menu options do not expect dine-in traffic to increase—customers will continue to expect to have take-out options that cater to their needs. Restaurants will need to update their menus options to include family-style meals.

The fact is the outside world is going to look and feel a lot different than it did before, particularly at restaurants. If you would like more information on reopening your restaurant, please contact [email protected]