How To Comfort Restaurant Guests In The Covid Era
COVID-19 isn’t leaving any time soon. Restaurant guests will not be as comfortable as they used to be when eating out. As a result, it’s up to owners to make a safe, comfortable environment to comfort restaurant guests. Though it can be difficult between mandated restrictions and increased safety measures, it’s far from impossible.
Here are some tips to comfort guests in the age of Covid:
Restaurant Safety Measures for Covid
The best form of reassurance for your guests is to let them know safety measures are in place. Thankfully, there are many ways to do just that.
– Be compliant. From the use of cutlery to table linens to social distancing guidelines, there are many precautions to take. Make sure your customers know you adhere to CDC and other federal, state, and local agency rules for their protection.
– Be strict about cleanliness. Double or triple your standard cleaning routines. Introduce new procedures like wiping down commonly used surfaces and materials after every guest use. Train your employees to strictly abide by these new rules.
– Redesign your layout. Do what you can to accommodate social distancing guidelines. Though this can be a challenge, there are many creative social distancing ideas to use for your own restaurant.
– Rethink your high-touch items. Items like menus are held by many hands, which is a major vehicle for covid transmission. Aside from cleaning menus after every use, think of “touchless” alternative methods you can implement. For instance, making your menu downloadable and viewable via mobile phones. Disposable or wall-mounted menus that don’t require sharing or touching are other possibilities.
Be creative with your protective measures and really contemplate every interaction your guests will have with your restaurant. That way, you won’t be caught by surprise.
Friendliness Goes a Long Way
In stressful times, a little friendliness can go a long way. But when masks are required, it can be hard to share smiles. Fortunately, there are some easy fixes for this issue, one of which is the use of semi-transparent face masks and shields so your guests can still see your servers’ friendly smiles while being protected.
A cheerier décor might also work miracles in creating a more uplifting atmosphere for your business, as does upbeat music.
Have your employees quickly go over with patrons the protective measures your restaurant is taking to ensure their safety. Not only will this address the elephant in the room, but will ensure any nervous guest their concerns are felt and taken up.
Provide Protection
In the midst of such trying and uncertain times, it is easy to understand why some people are on edge and anxious. What you need to remember is it took courage for your guests to actually go out and visit your establishment. One of the most comforting things you can do is give them the opportunity to protect themselves. Doing so allows them to feel more secure and be more in control of their surroundings. Aside from strictly following the guidelines under these circumstances, you can also:
– Have hand sanitizer at the ready for every table.
– Provide masks for those who come in without them.
– Keep your hand washing stations fully stocked.
We Are in This Together
These times are trying and uncertain. They are scary, too. Our greatest strength as a nation is our resilience. We don’t have to face the pandemic alone. Let’s look out for one another even for the support and reliance we all need.
Coast Linen Services is here to help you with clean, safe restaurant linens and uniforms. For more information, contact us today at (732) 775-2000.
