The novel coronavirus has made running a business in the hospitality sector incredibly difficult in 2020. Gone are the days of a businesses main concerns being the menu, footfall, and revenue. Now restaurants and bars have to ensure a safe working environment for their staff and a healthy eating environment for customers. We’re not saying COVID-19 is the reason why many businesses are now making health and safety their focal point, but it has definitely pushed these things into the limelight.
Ever since the economy re-opened, the virus has seen an expected resurgence with daily infection rates reaching over three hundred in a single day. Now, aside from the governments regulations of a one meter distance between tables, disinfecting paper menus consistently, and a one and half hour stay limit, what else can be done to help prevent the spread of the virus at your establishment?
Make wearing a mask mandatory
It mightn’t sound like much but some studies have shown that wearing a mask actually reduces the spread of infection by almost 90%. Since lock-downs were lifted we’ve all seen the numerous queues at trendy restaurants, millennial's lining the streets just to get into a venue that isn’t their house, even if its for a short time. The problem is, although establishments are required by law to ensure their patrons wear face masks, this practice is lacking upon entrance into the establishment.
We’ve seen instances of patrons wearing masks in the queue but immediately remove them upon entrance to said venue. Restaurants and bars need to ensure their customers are upholding government regulations to help reduce the spread of the virus. Customers should be required to wear masks while inside the establishment if they ever need to move from their table, to go to the toilet for example.
Businesses in the hospitality sector need to take a hard stance on the issue, especially now that cases are back on the rise. It’s best for your business, your staff, and your patrons. No mask, no entry!
Provide hand sanitizers outside the bathrooms
This one might sound like a no-brainer but you’d be surprised how many businesses severely overlook this. Picture this, after a 30 minute wait for your food you see the waiter making their way towards you. But wait, you forgot your hand sanitizer in the car, and you ordered wings. You now have to put on your mask, make your way to the bathroom to wash your hands before coming back to eat your meal.
I’ll be honest, even in a pre-COVID world, this really ground my gears.
Unfortunately the above is an all too common occurrence these days. As a business owner in such dark times you need to ensure hand sanitizers are provided to customers before and after a meal. And by hand sanitizer I also mean alcohol wipes, just so we’re clear.
Invest in a contactless menu
The third, and arguably best, way to ensure safety in your restaurant or bar is to invest in contactless menus (shocker). Your menus are the second most interacted with item in your establishment bar your furniture. It’s your responsibility as a restaurant or bar owner to ensure their cleanliness.
The best way to do this is to remove any physical interaction with the menu. Depending on your type of establishment this could mean investing in menu boards. Or, if you’re old fashioned and feel like your customers want to read a paper menu, ‘single use’ menus could be the key, however, this option isn’t good for our planet or for your pockets.
The best option when trying to invest in contactless menus are QR codes and NFC. This might seem like an overplayed song on the radio but having QR (quick response) or NFC (near field communications) menus reduces your customers interaction with your menu by 99%. They also quicken your service as waiters no longer need to hastily disinfect paper menus then run to each new customer clutching said menu. Your waiters can focus on ensuring a good atmosphere in your establishment and your customers are empowered having your menu directly on their mobile device.
Using Esca menus contactless menu solution, you build and manage your menu using our system, or, we build and manage it on your behalf. This means you can change your menu at any time without changing your QR code or URL. You never have to print another sheet of paper. Better still, your customers don’t need to download any app. They just sit at their assigned table and scan the code. Your waitstaff then take their order as usual.
Using our ‘Main Plan’ you can also initiate mobile ordering. This means your customers don’t even need a waiter to take their order. They simply order what they want straight from the menu.
Sign up for Esca menu today to see how your restaurant, bar , or online food service business could benefit from using a contactless digital menu.
