Keeping your cafe safe during COVID-19

The summer saw a boom in the restaurant industry, with a 216% increase in table bookings according to the BBC However, 'Eat Out to Help Out' has ended, and the guidance on coronavirus continues to change daily. Although Restaurants and cafes are currently in lockdown there is still a need to keep updating practices to ensure that customers remain safe when they are able to return to thier favourite watering holes. In this post, we're going to explore some practical health and safety measures during COVID-19 that cafe and restaurant owners can continue to implement once their doors are open to the public once again...

Socially distanced spacing - Keeping a two-metre distance has almost been ingrained into us over the last few months, so it's crucial to maintain this spacing as cafes and restaurants move indoors. The most popular and effective strategy is <a href="https://www.cafereality.co.uk/cat/covid-19-protection/protection-screens">protective screens</a>, preventing the transmission of harmful viruses. Ensure you invest in attractive-looking screens to cultivate a sense of hospitality in your space.

Sanitised surfaces - According to The Journal for Hospital Infection COVID-19 can live on some non-porous surfaces for up to nine days, making it vital that you regularly clean all surfaces after use. For your customers, this includes things like menus, cafe chairs, cafe tables and items they may have interacted with like card machines. If a restaurant has been using fabric-based chairs, now might be the time to invest in some easy-to-clean cafe seating options to help keep customers safe.

Effective communication - Ensuring eateries remain safe requires mutual understanding with customers. For every person who walks through the door, owners need to communicate protocols and procedures with them in an effective manner. Social media is a fantastic platform to start with, as live updates can be posted in line with any new regulation that the government introduces.

However, it would help if spaces can accommodate impulse walk-ins with in-house signs and notices. Investing in an information board could be an excellent choice for this, as well as offering hand sanitiser to your guests on entry.

Personalise space - With all of these changes taking place, it's easy to focus on the safety over other aspects of premises. Do take into consideration the aesthetics of a cafe or restaurant to personalise or zone the space. Why not add some stickers or illustrations to the edges of protective screens? Maybe use houseplants to bring some zen to cafe interiors and accessorise new furniture.

Cafe or restaurants are still a reflection of brand, so add some personalised touches to make it feel welcoming.

For more information on cafe furniture that meets COVID-19 guidelines or Covid -19 compliant space planning, get in touch with the team here at Cafe Reality today.