Once your restaurant in Birmingham, or any city for that matter, has been given the green light, you want to be sure you are doing everything right, of course. But you might be looking for some advice. Pay attention to these five tips. They can help ensure your restaurant is ready after the coronavirus pandemic has loosened its grip.
1. Look for the Not So Obvious
You are going to be cleaning your restaurant harder than ever, but you still need to be certain you are not overlooking some things. You could be so concerned about human to human contact that you could neglect other issues. For example, according to Meeks Environmental, a provider of commercial grease trap cleaning in Birmingham, AL, failing to handle something like cleaning your grease traps could easily put your guests at risk.
Make sure to look into every nook and cranny of your business. And remind your managers, leads and the entire staff to take this seriously, too. If anything, even the smallest item, is out of place, you must handle that before moving on to any other work. And that includes even the smallest crumb on the floor in your kitchen needing to be immediately swept up.
2. Keep Stocking in Bulk
Any time you come across items you use that can be bought in bulk, you should stock up on those items. You do not ever want your restaurant to be out of anything, and that includes anything you use to keep your employees and guests safe. You do not want to run into an issue where you do not have something like cleaning supplies, soap, and sanitation products.
Stay on top of your current restaurant vendors and wholesale partners. You might want to go ahead and increase the frequency of how often they restock and service your needs. Even if you have to spend more money, you will have more peace of mind.
3. Inform Your Team About New Processes
Even if you have a very experienced restaurant staff, you must spend some time training them. In fact, training them on COVID-19 related duties is among your most important tasks. Do not just settle for hearing employees are following new procedures. Take time to watch those protocols in action.
Your managers and leads will have to be very active with this process, too. And you must know your business will be watched with more scrutiny than ever. As much as you do not want to ever have to do this, you should consider sending home any employees who skip any of the new safety measures. Do not let them work again until you know they have learned to take things seriously.
4. Inform the Public About Processes
Your customers and prospective customers must know about new processes, too. They need to know about your ability to serve diners again in advance. Take time to slowly reveal details about your processes. You should use social media and traditional media where you can. And you might want to look into reservations only to start. This helps to make sure you deal with crowds the safest way possible.
Once guests are in your establishment, you have to make sure the processes are clear, too. Have plenty of signage and clear labeling of things like hand sanitizer stations. If you do not have hand sanitizer stations, yet, you should purchase some for your restaurant. Do not be afraid to correct your guests if you see them not making smart decisions that could jeopardize their health and the health of others.
5. Hold a Soft Re-Opening First
You also might want to think about holding a soft re-opening. Consider inviting some family and friends first. Then have a day where you invite just your VIPs.
Take some time to see how everything works with your staff. And see how everything works for and with your guests. Consider two or three days of this before you open to the general public.
Through your use of one or more of the tips above, you can ensure you business is ready after COVID-19. Bookmark this page. This list could come in very handy for you moving forward. And don’t forget to share this with your managers and leads, too.
