Ensuring Sanitation and Trust in the Restaurant Industry: Strategies for Safe Curbside Dining

During the worldwide epidemic, ensuring the cleanliness and safety of your restaurant is more critical than ever. Customers, especially those opting for curbside dining, need to feel reassured that their food is clean and their health is protected. This article explores effective ways to sanitize and maintain the trust of your patrons by focusing on specific strategies that can be implemented. Let's dive into the details.

Create a Sanitization Cleaning Checklist

Implementing a comprehensive sanitization cleaning checklist is the first step towards ensuring a clean and safe dining environment. This checklist should be communicated to both front of house (FOH) and back of house (BOH) staff to ensure that cleaning tasks are prioritized and executed properly. Some key surfaces that should be included in the checklist are:

Doors and chairs Utensils and equipment Grills and ranges Wastepaper bins and storage areas Restrooms and service stations Tables and chairs for FOH Cupboards and beverage dispensers

Make sure to include details on how often each task should be performed and the proper use of cleaning products.

Choose the Right Cleaning Products

Selecting the right cleaning products is crucial to ensuring that your kitchen environment is safe and hygienic. Common products such as soap and water, as well as disinfectants, each have their specific uses. Ensure that the cleaning products you use meet EPA disinfection criteria and that your staff is well-versed in their proper usage:

How much of the solution to dilute with water The safe surfaces to use these products for The recommended time that each cleaning product should be left on the surface before wiping

Staff should also be trained on the importance of hand sanitization, especially before returning to food preparation.

Understand the Difference Between Cleaning and Sanitizing

While cleaning removes visible dirt and food debris, sanitizing is about removing pathogens and germs. Follow the 5-step process to ensure effective sanitization:

Scrape off any food or residue from the surface. Wash the surface with a cleaning solution to dissolve any remaining residue. Rinse the surface with water to ensure no cleaning solution remains. Apply a sanitizing solution and leave it on the surface for the recommended time. Dry the surface before the next use.

Cover All Your Bases

Your sanitization checklist should comprehensively cover your restaurant, including all surfaces. Ensure that:

FOH surfaces are covered, such as railings, switches, and condiments BOH surfaces are not overlooked, including grills, equipment, cutting boards, and storage areas

Incorporating these into your routine will create a more hygienic environment for both staff and customers.

Practice Good Hygiene

Training staff to practice good hygiene is essential. This includes wearing gloves and masks, and ensuring that hand sanitization is part of the routine. The implementation of visual reminders and signage can further enhance these practices.

Ensure Clean and Safe Delivery

When delivering curbside, it's crucial to take extra precautions. Try to take payments in advance, and if handling payments, ensure that the terminal is disinfected between each delivery. Encourage tap and contactless payments. Upon delivery, place the food on a table or the ground rather than directly handing it to the customer. This minimizes direct contact and reduces the risk of contamination.

Ensure Safe Customer Pickup

Curbside pickup is a great option for limiting customer exposure. Ensure that the payment terminal is sanitized and cash is avoided. Suggest that customers leave the food at the curb or in a specific area to limit physical interaction.

For more information on restaurant sanitization, you can read the full blog post on How to Effectively Sanitize and Clean Your Restaurant.