Restaurants have greatly demonstrated community leadership during the coronavirus crisis. By establishing and enforcing exemplary levels of cleanliness and safety, the nation’s foodservice operators have the opportunity to help slow the spread of COVID-19 while at the same time contributing to the reopening of their local economies and rebuilding their local communities.
Research shows that consumers, weary of quarantining themselves in their homes for weeks and months, are eager to get out an enjoy dining at restaurants. According to Technomic’s recent Foodservice Impact Monitor Report, about half—47% — of consumers said they look forward to going out to eat after coronavirus concerns subside.
Restaurant operators have already began embracing the challenges of providing safe and clean environments at standards that can accommodate the return of on-premises dining. In addition to revamping seating areas to provide social distancing, they are deploying such strategies as digital or disposable menus, eliminated self-service stations and providing comprehensive training and personal protective equipment (PPE) to staff.
Additionally, Technomic’s Foodservice Impact Monitor Report found that operators’ No. 1 concern with regards to reopening is keeping employees safe andhealthy. . This means the attention to safety and cleanliness must be comprehensive and encompass both front-of-house and back-of-house measures.
For front-of-house efforts, safety and cleanliness should be highly visible to customers and could come in the form of signage that explains restaurant policies, innovative menu and seating solutions, as well as through the actions of well-trained employees. New front-of-house employee tasks could include additional dining room sanitation or helping ensure customers are maintaining social distance.
In the back-of-house, operators should double down on protocols for safety and sanitation where kitchen staff work in close proximity to each other, compounding the safety and cleanliness issues that have always existed in these frenetic, often hazardous environments.
Operators can further minimize back-of-house risks with measures that enhance safety and cleanliness by leveraging partners that provide solutions such as those offered by Restaurant Technologies. The company’s automated, contactless oil handling and hood and flue management solutions help make safer, smarter, more efficient kitchens – all while mitigating the risk from time consuming, dangerous back-of-house tasks. As operators seek to reopen with minimal staff, or with new staff that may need to be trained, systems such as those offered by Restaurant Technologies bring even more value to kitchen operations.
Restaurant Technologies’ comprehensive oil handling and hood and flue management solutions can enhance the safety and cleanliness of your operations as you play a leadership role in revitalizing your communities. For more information, visit https://www.rti-inc.com/ today.
This post is sponsored by Restaurant Technologies