How To Welcome Back Diners, From A Distance

Less Cash, Less Contact

Just like with menus, cash changing hands is another point of contact that can be eliminated from the dine-in experience. Restaurants can take steps to make using credit cards safer, such as sanitizing cards and credit card readers. Even before the pandemic, mobile payments were becoming more popular and widely-used, and restaurant owners should also consider the possibility of switching to mobile payment options.

Crowd Control

Though many restaurants and bars thrived on packed dining rooms, a key to keeping restaurants safe is limiting the number of people allowed inside at once. Restaurants should keep careful tallies on the number of patrons who enter and exit the premises to make sure spaces are not becoming overcrowded. Limiting customers to numbers that allow people to stay at least six feet apart from one another is an effective way to keep everyone out of harm’s way. Systems that rely on calling or texting customers when they are allowed to come inside could eliminate the risk of having customers crowding around the door or host stand while waiting for a table.

Staff Training

Educating staff members is more important than ever, as safety measures won’t be effective if they aren’t enforced and properly followed. Restaurants should take care to properly educate their staff on how to maintain stringent hygiene standards that include regularly sanitizing both the kitchen and dining areas as well as following personal hygiene guidelines such as hand washing. It is also critical that staff members know not to come to work if they are sick, even if their symptoms are mild. Staff should also be trained on how to handle new situations that might arise such as if a customer isn’t following social distancing guidelines.

Social Distancing Shouldn’t Be Somber

Though maintaining a safe environment is essential, owners still have to think about what attracted customers to restaurants in the first place. Restaurants, especially now, not only provide great food and beverages, but also offer a fun and lively reprieve from everyday life. Keeping the mood light and fun in these uncertain times will not only boost morale, but also business. Restaurants can consider switching to an upbeat playlist, keeping doors open to let in fresh air, and reminding their front of house staff of the importance of being friendly and personable. For restaurants and bars with TVs, with less sports to watch, it might be tempting to put on the news. However, consider skipping this to keep things fresh and positive.

Stay Safe, Stay Legal

When the time comes for restaurants to reopen their doors for business, where they are located can play a major role in the legality and logistics of staying open. Amidst the coronavirus crisis, many safety protocols are being mandated at the local, state, and federal levels, so be sure to follow all rules and regulations that apply to your restaurant.

A New Normal

The coronavirus crisis was unprecedented, and the recovery will be no different. Restaurants should begin looking ahead to start planning how they will be able to welcome back diners in a safe, responsible way. Countries such as South Korea and China that are already beginning to phase-in new dining protocols are learning to adapt to new industry standards. Plexi-glass barriers, legal waivers, and temperature checks have been implemented, and these are also measures that can be considered by restaurant owners. In the coming weeks and months, restaurants will learn to adapt, survive, and keep their customers and staff members safe.