If you had to cease certain restaurant services due to COVID-19, you should know the important steps to take. In fact, there are seven things you should consider. Through your use of these tips, you can have the best re-opening possible.
Your local jurisdiction has certain laws you must follow. Make sure you are aware of those laws. Talk to your local elected leaders, health experts, and law enforcement about your needs and your requirements, too. You, your staff, and your guests will have to abide by laws.
Have laws on display. And be certain you stay up to date with laws. You must remember laws can always be changed and quickly changed. Ask your local law officials to include you in email reminders about changing local laws.
When you re-open your restaurant, you want to make sure you don't end up without something that's needed. You do not want your employees to run into this. And you definitely do not want your customers to be without something, either.
Take time to ensure you pay special attention to inventory. Always err on the side of caution. You want to be overprepared. Bulk order.
If you just open the flood gates, you can easily run into issues. You should slowly announce your re-opening. This will help you.
Consider having just some of your close contacts in your business first. Then slowly increase with each day how many people you allow through your doors. You could even start off by only serving through reserved tables. Make sure you use social media and traditional media when and where you can.
You have to retrain your staff. Even if you have amazing employees who hardly ever mess up, this is important for you to remember. And, of course, it is important for your managers to make sure this happens, too.
Do not tolerate staff skipping any corners. Do not be afraid to correct them, either. If they cannot follow your new guidelines, you should send them home until they take those new rules to heart.
Any new changes to your business must be communicated to your business partners. Make sure your vendors and wholesalers know of any new processes. You do not want them to jeopardize the success of your restaurant, either.
You also want to take time with business partners to discuss how they can help you more. You might need to increase the services you receive. You might need to talk to them about the aforementioned increased bulk-purchasing, too. And whether you need to set up a grease trap cleaning, or some other service, you must make sure that work is not forgotten.
Make sure your advertising and marketing is planned out and rolling. You do not have to spend a lot of money, though. Take, for example, social media. You can use social media for free.
Your advertising and marketing should cover any important details the public needs to know about, and you must not skip any corners. Make sure to update information anywhere it can be accessed. And don't forget it has to be in line with your overall advertising and marketing strategy.
Do not re-open and fail to properly handle sanitation needs. Make sure you get this under your belt before you re-open. Make sure your staff has this under their belt, too.
You do not want to jeopardize the health of your customers or your team. When you re-open, you will be under an even more watchful eye. Poor sanitation can kill your business. Take every step you can to be certain your restaurant is clean. According to Meeks Environmental, a provider of commercial grease trap cleaning in Birmingham, AL, the best thing you can do for your restaurant is to keep it clean and working properly. Then, no matter who visits your store, health inspector, or otherwise, you can be confident in the level of service you offer them.
If you use one or more of the tips above, you are well on your way to a great re-opening. And you will have an even better establishment, too. So bookmark this page. It can help you as you move forward. You also can share this with your restaurant staff to drive home your points.
Katie earned a BA in English from WWU and loves to write. She also adores hiking in redwood forests and photography. She feels happiest around a campfire surrounded by friends and family.