Restaurants face some very specific challenges in order to put diners at ease in the COVID-19 landscape. The interim between offering pick up only and opening to reduced capacity has allowed time to implement new sanitation and distancing procedures, but this is an area that Is very much in flux. CDC guidelines are in place, but precise regulations vary according to local and state governments and compliance varies significantly. An opinion piece in the LA Times suggests that a grading system of COVID-19 safety should be implemented, and such systems may come to pass as restaurant dining returns to popularity.
Sanitation Protocols
Diners should be spaced a minimum of 6 feet apart and restaurant staff are to be masked and gloved, but without adequate ventilation, interior spaces still pose a certain degree of risk and outdoor spaces will be in higher demand. Single use or continually sanitized menus will be in use, and some restaurants may move into QR-code based ordering systems to avoid physical menus entirely. Automated service and payment techniques, pre-wrapped utensils, and signage indicating that a table has been recently cleaned are other innovations that may also come into play.
Increasing Mobile Options
An alternative approach to keep food costs down would be conversions of restaurants to ghost kitchens, which allow for delivery or pick up, but with no sit-down dining options. In this way a company can retain employees and promote customer trust while anticipating a conversion to a dining establishment in the future when more feasible. Restaurant owners will likely invest in drive through or pick-up window options within their architectural designs. City permitting may be adjusted to allow for food trucks to service certain outdoor areas to allow for more al-fresco dining experiences. Regardless of the approach, restaurateurs will likely implement pre-shift temperature scans for their workers, insist on increased employee hand washing, and the removal of self-service buffets to reduce risks. Touchless payment and distanced service will also increase in popularity.
Location And Expansion
The US could do well to examine practices in other countries that have increased available outdoor spaces for restaurants. According to The Guardian, Lithuania has already opened up eighteen of the city’s public spaces, with more slated to come, in order to expand outdoor seating capabilities. Street closures in certain dining districts may be feasible to help restaurants lure diners into a communal, albeit socially distanced environment.
Many vacated restaurants will become available for renovation and adaptation. In these cases, retrofitting for a primarily delivery and curbside based operation could be optimal. However, with the reduction in work-based commuting, certain dining centers may no longer be the best choice for restaurant locations. Some restaurateurs may look to convert or build new sites in more residential areas as zoning permits.
Heightened Appreciation
Having spent months indoors preparing most, if not all, of their own daily meals may also have an unexpected emotional effect on diners. After flexing their own culinary muscles with a wide array of outcomes, restaurant-goers may have an increased appreciation for all that is involved in planning a menu and creating an appetizing and high-quality meal. With minimized server contact with patrons, no-tipping models may be encouraged and a service fee built into menu offerings instead. We may also see an increase in worker unions and protections to ensure those preparing and serving our meals are being taken proper care of.