As the dust settles and states begin to look forward to reopening, it’s time to think about what measures your bar, restaurant, or other establishment in Wisconsin should take to reopen. Before reopening, you should address concerns regarding sanitation and safety, employee education, liability, distancing, and continuing to offer pick-up or delivery.
The Wisconsin Restaurant Association (WRA) “advises restaurant operators to carefully open if they feel it is right for their business and their community. If you choose to open, it’s important to do everything possible to mitigate the spread risk and build confidence in customers.”
Restaurants and Bars were unexpectedly allowed to reopen on May 13th without restrictions.
Sanitation and Safety
For the safety of your staff and customers, you should sanitize all areas of the restaurant before reopening. This includes the kitchen, tables, chairs, the bathroom, and checkout areas. Be sure to follow the instructions found on our disinfectant label and rinse thoroughly with water to reduce the risk of food contamination.
Make sure all “high-touch” areas like doorknobs, railings, switches, and faucets are regularly being cleaned throughout the day. Since pin pads can be a hot spot of contamination make sure you’re wiping it down in between each customer use. If needed conduct training and reinforce procedures at meetings.
In addition, you should create house policies that dictate when and how long an employee should be unable to return to work. The CDC currently recommends self-quarantining for 14 days for someone who might be sick and self-isolation if you are.
Liability
Before opening, be sure to post a clear and concise liability waiver. This statement should be available for patrons and servers to read on the door or in seating areas. It should address how you’d like your customers to conduct themselves, how the staff has been trained, and enhanced cleaning procedures.
Distancing
To maintain the recommended six feet of separation, redesign the dining room areas to seat customers farther apart. You may also want to consider canceling or postponing events that typically draw crowds, such as fundraising, bands, and banquets. It is also recommended that you temporarily discontinue self-service food and drink opportunities.
Pick Up/Delivery
While many people may be eager to resume their daily tasks like getting a bite to eat or drinking at the local pub, there may be regular patrons who would prefer to remain distanced from the general population. So, it may still be lucrative to maintain the pick-up and delivery options that were put into place. If this option was previously not in place, it may be a good time for management to reconsider.
Additional resources related to COVID in your state include:
