Social distance in restaurants: the new normality

Social distance in restaurants is beginning to gain space as a concept and a way of returning to “new normalcy” after a long quarantine due to the presence of the Covid-19.

Social distancing becomes one of the methods of prevention, which will allow us to continue with our daily lives, minimizing risks and without exposing us to contagion.

There are many unanswered questions and it is very likely that you are one of those people who do not have a very clear picture or need to act to reopen the doors of your business.

Among the most outstanding aspects of this new normality, we share the most important recommendations that will help you understand and put into practice social distancing in an adequate way. Before starting you must remember something: the Covid-19 is still among us, it is an invisible enemy that you can fight with responsibility and a lot of collective conscience.

General guidelines for respecting social distance in restaurants

Among the general guidelines to respect the social distance in restaurants we will share a series of precautions that will allow the necessary sanitation to avoid possible infections.

From the first moment of the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) established that we should maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 meters between people. That space, baptized as social distance, is the safety space that would prevent the community contagion of Covid-19. An effective measure when applied responsibly and seriously

Separation of tables and seats

Among the recommendations for the separation of tables and seats we have

• Keep a minimum distance of 1.5 meters between one table and another.
• Organize seats outdoors and indoors, making an equitable distribution.
• Establish the capacity limit in the premises.
• Use greenhouses, screens or table bubbles in the spaces. This will create a more robust security zone for customers to enjoy with greater peace of mind.
• Work under the modality of reservation in the premises to diminish the agglomeration of clients within the premises.

Safe space for your care staff

As for the safety space for your care staff, these are the recommendations:

• Employees must be provided with protective equipment such as masks, face protection and gloves necessary to avoid any type of contagion.
• Employees should take the necessary precautionary measures and distance themselves from customers while taking orders and serving the menu.
• They must ensure that visitors also comply with the established sanitary measures.
• Prepare your staff to inform clients that there will be a new modality in the service of your business.
• Implement new methods in the preparation of food to minimize the contact of the staff that prepares it with the clients.
• Use extra long wooden or plastic boards to serve customers.
• Asking customers to wear masks when they are not eating.

Clear and precise sanitation protocol

The protocol for sanitation must be clear, so that there will be no doubt as to the measures that must be taken to avoid possible contagion.

Among these measures we can mention:

• Install air purifiers to clean the environment and everything that circulates in the room.
• Carry out a constant cleaning and disinfection of the spaces in your restaurant.
• Reinforce the cleanliness of the bathrooms by emphasizing the cleaning and disinfection of doors, handles and taps after each client’s visit.
• Limit bathroom use to one user, thus reducing exposure to possible infections.
• Clean and disinfect continuously the menu, the seats in the cabin, the table and the condiments after each service.

Methacrylate screens

To ensure social distancing in this new normality, several restaurants have implemented the use of methacrylate screens to keep diners apart and make citizens feel safe.

With the opening of the catering service, many doubts have been put on the table. However, this sector has reinvented itself by looking for viable solutions to keep your business afloat.

You can find methacrylate screens in different thicknesses between 2 mm and 4 mm, used to reduce the possibility of airborne transmission by establishing a separation barrier. The current cost of this novel anti-contagious option requires an investment between 600 and 700 euros.

Use technology to your advantage

In this new normality and after the de-climbing phases have been implemented, new technological systems have been implemented with the aim of reducing direct contact with the restaurant staff

One of the easiest options to use is by using a QR code. To do this, you only need to use your mobile device to scan the QR and obtain the menu, photos of the dishes with their descriptions, ingredients on the menu and after enjoying your service pay from your mobile.

Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds and thanks to these new systems, new methods have been incorporated that not only guarantee the reduction of contagion, but also ensure the normalization of processes and transactions.

In short, in recent months technology has played a very important role in the establishment to ensure social distancing and the development of this new normality that is just beginning.