Both single venue and multi-unit restaurant leaders will return to succeed. We are sure of it.

No matter what stage of the reopening process your business is at, a thorough reexamining of your operations is essential. From retail and restaurants to offices and manufacturing plants, it is safe to say that a return to your old ways of working isn’t happening. Now more than ever, a widespread sharing of information and ideas amongst caring and committed professionals will best serve all of your relationships. Employees, customers, 3rd party vendors, and community neighbors. There is no shortage of content on the subject matter out there and with that sentiment in mind, we want to help by sharing some of the suggestions that have resonated with us.

For this post and given our involvement in the industry, we’re going to focus on dine-in restaurants. From day one and long before most businesses experienced any challenges, restaurants were hit directly and the hardest. To witness the response of F&B owners and the strengthening of their resolve in order to weather the pandemic is truly inspirational. In many cases, restaurant owners took it beyond just survival mode and found it in their hearts to provide extraordinary acts of generosity towards their employees and communities. It confirmed a unique spirit that has left us in awe (hopefully) and will serve as a way to gauge the way we all conduct ourselves for a long time to come (again, hopefully).

A lot will need to be contemplated for commercial kitchens and public dining rooms when we return to normalcy. The complications that need to be accounted for present head-on conflicts with the day to day operations of many establishments. All aspects, from the procurement of ingredients to cooking procedures, serving methods and dining room design will need to be reviewed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. With that said, a commitment to adjusting as required will ensure a well-executed reopening and set you back down the path to success.

Whether you’re a restaurant owner, general manager, or facilities maintenance manager, if you’re now busy creating your strategy, here are some sites that start to provide suggestions and guidelines to help. Although there is no complete source for mandated guidelines and the information we’re learning is changing daily, learning, asking questions and sharing ideas will help you begin to formulate a thoughtful reopening plan.

National Restaurant Association: https://www.nrn.com/operations/national-restaurant-association-releases-coronavirus-reopening-guide-industry

Black Sheep Restaurants: https://blacksheeprestaurants.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/black-sheep-restaurants-sop-covid19.pdf

Nation’s Restaurant News: https://www.nrn.com/operations/restaurant-re-openings-what-american-operators-can-learn-china-we-enter-covid-19-recovery