Golden Corral is adding additional safeguards to protect against the spread of the coronavirus, the buffet chain announced this week.
Among the Raleigh, N.C.-based chain’s new procedures:
- Sanitizing all “key guest touchpoints” every 30 minutes.
- Changing all serving utensils every 30 minutes.
- Giving employees at company-owned units paid leave for their scheduled hours during a 14-day quarantine following a confirmed diagnosis.
- Requiring employees to wash their hands every 20 minutes.
- Adding additional hand sanitizer stations around the restaurant.
"The health, safety and well-being of our co-workers, guests and communities are always our top priority and we are deeply committed to delivering on that promise," Golden Corral CEO Lance Trenary said in a statement. "Our brand specializes in serving our local communities across the country. We implemented additional preventive measures to address coronavirus concerns and to maintain a clean and safe environment for our co-workers and our guests."
The coronavirus presents an especially difficult challenge for buffet concepts due to their self-service nature.
In Las Vegas this week, MGM Resorts International announced it would temporarily close buffets at seven of its properties.
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