After months of waiting, the green signal for restaurants to finally open has come. While it was a big psychological high for everyone associated directly or indirectly with this business, yet with the current condition of infection growth in Unlock 1.0, it has now presented its own immense challenges to the industry.
Post the lockdown, with the so called “new normal”, running the restaurant business will not be “normal”. The biggest challenge will be gaining the consumer trust back. This can only be done when we understand how important it is to have a framework ready to provide fresh, limited contact food preparation and service and still delivering a great experience.
Some of the pointers that need to be kept in mind to ensure you are ready for the new dine in experience for your customers and which can be used as a handy checklist:
A. Staff related checks:
- Masks/head gear/ gloves – ensure that the staff has adequate supply of them.
- Gloves to be changed after every service.
- Frequent hand washing to be done by all and monitored.
- Temperature checks for them at the time of entry.
- Staff to be screened before joining, if they are coming from a containment zone or travelling from other states etc., then they need to be quarantined.
B. Raw material and Workplace Sanitization:
- Proper methods and checklists to be followed to sanitize all the raw material, perishables, and groceries coming into the kitchen.
- Well defined cleaning schedules with proper cleaning agents and disinfectants to be used.
- Restrooms to be carefully cleaned and sanitized.
C. Customer related:
- Temperature check of each and every person entering in the restaurant is a must.
- Hand sanitization at every point.
- Customers to leave their shopping bags etc outside the restaurant at a separate counter.
- Social distancing at every step to be maintained
D. Contact less service:
- Ensure online table reservation, payment and menu selection.
- Redefine SOP’s to ensure lesser contact with prepared food at the time of service.
- Innovative solutions such Plexiglass barriers to ensure social distancing inside the restaurant.
While this is going to be a tough time for the hospitality industry but we are confident that the backbone of our industry, viz talented and passionate people, may bend but will NOT break. The new normal will usher in new concepts and ideas in the restaurant business. Working together, we will emerge as winners and surely there will be good times again!