Social Distancing in Restaurant
The purpose of this article is to bring light on “Methods adapted for Post COVID opening of the restaurant”.
The restaurants are resuming their operations after COVID – 19 lock down. The certain precautions and proper planning should be taken up by the restaurant administration to ensure the customer’s safety of health are given as follows,
Cluster of consumers
The customers can come as individuals, couples, and groups to restaurants. For single customers the four-person table can be provided with an alternative opposite seating position or the two-person table can be provided for eating. For couples, a two-person table should be provided or a four-person table by placing a small panel of wood at the center of the table. The customer coming in groups can be accommodated in a single table.
Infrastructure
Each table can be partitioned as a separate cabin using plywood material with half doors to ensure social distancing. The warm water should be provided for hand wash. The warning signboard should be kept for not using sanitizer in-between washing hands and eating food or the proper cutleries can be given for eating. The restaurant having a larger space can accommodate the table with more distance instead of leaving the table in-between with no customers.
Menu
The menu should be limited to ensure faster movement of customers and complete order should be given at a single time. So that the waiting time of the next customer will get reduce.
Booking
If possible, online booking can be introduced whereby the customers can choose the time slot for eating food in the restaurants. The time slots should be given with the fixed menu, like for a particular food combo this much of the time required to eat. In this way, the restaurants can avoid making the customers physically waiting at the restaurant.
Take away
The phone or online booking should be made mandatory for the takeaway orders and messages should be sent to the customer’s mobile upon their order being ready for pick up.
Preparation
The employee safety should also be ensured, by avoiding or limiting the instant food (fast food) making orders, so that the restaurant can operate with less number of employees ensuring social distancing.
(The Personal Note was written by Dr.S.Ragavan, Assistant professor, R.B.Institute of Management Studies, Ahmedabad, Gujarat)