4 Ways to Stay Safe While Reopening Your Ice Cream Shop
The world has been in crisis most of the year because of COVID-19. Recently, states have started allowing restaurants to reopen their indoor seating. It can be difficult to understand how to do that safely. We compiled a list of ways to stay safe while reopening your ice cream shop.
1. Keep Your Employees Safe
There are a few major ways to keep your employees safe from infection. First and foremost, give your employees masks and gloves to wear while working. This protects them from infecting one another and your customers. This is especially important for employees interacting directly with your customers.
Another way to keep your employees safe from disease is by diligently checking them for signs and symptoms before their shifts. Allow them to go home if they're exhibiting symptoms. Make contingency plans so employees can go home if they're sick: revise your sick leave policies and have other employees on-call for every shift so you won't be understaffed.
2. Keep Your Customers Safe
Your customers need to feel safe from disease while in your establishment. A great way to do this is by limiting the number of customers in your store at a time. Remove some of your tables and only allow small parties.
Another way to keep your customers safe is by regularly sanitizing every frequently-touched surface. Use these table toppers to let your customers know exactly how you're keeping them safe. Keep hand sanitizer dispensers where customers can easily reach them. They'll be more comfortable knowing they're safe and uncontaminated in your establishment.
3. Keep Your Food Safe
Food safety is one of the most important parts of the restaurant business. It's even more crucial now. We know you already do your best to keep your food safe. Here are a few more ways to stay especially safe: rather than using traditional dishes and flatware, use only disposable items, and limit self-serve stations. Using disposable dishes and flatware is a great way to limit exposure. The only people who touch these dishes are those preparing the food and eating it. Self-serve stations can be an easy way to spread disease. A great way to slow the spread of disease is to have your employees be the only ones to touch condiments and toppings.
4. Know the Regulations
Each state has its own regulations surrounding restaurants reopening. These regulations sometimes change from day to day. The best way to keep your restaurant safe is to know your state's regulations and follow them. Stay updated and informed to stay safe. A great resource for staying informed is this document from the CDC.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the entire world. You can still serve your customers and stay safe. If you follow these tips and your state's regulations, you can keep your restaurant safe from disease and infection.
Tell us in the comments about how you've been staying safe from the Coronavirus in your establishment.
