Social Distancing: A Unique Challenge For Bars & Restaurants
In addition to the task of enticing new customers into their bar or restaurant, business owners now face the unprecedented challenge of applying required safety and social distancing measures back of house.
In short, social distancing will increase an outlet’s costs while reducing the number of covers substantially. This poses five key questions for any operator:
How do we survive financially? (reduced menus, concentrating on higher margin menu items, ensure items can travel well if adding delivery or collection options for customers.)
How do your staff manage how the customer is served due to the 2 metre rule? (prioritising safety but being mindful of customer experience, introduction of disposable menus or potentially adding technology to reduce contact and handling of cash)
How do you give your staff the confidence in being able to return to work safely? (updating staff handbook with safety measures, basic PPE)
How do you give your customers confidence that your establishment are carrying out the required safety measures for everyone?
How will this be policed given the acute shortage of EHOs? (ensuring compliance of above measures, introducing visual elements of safety such as regular cleaning of surfaces, all necessary signage, 2m floor tape and potential addition of sanitiser stations)
It seems clear that restaurants and bars face financial ruin if they are unable to fill seats due to the need for spacing which social distancing requires. Being busy and turning tables is what makes many restaurants and eateries tick. If only a small percentage of tables can be filled then businesses will not make profit, staff will therefore not be required due to reduced turnover of customer base from both front of house and kitchen.
This may well lead to a huge reduction in those who may have considered hospitality as a career pathway. As an industry we are already struggling with a serious skills shortage. The hospitality industry has been particularly hard hit and may well be one of the last to come out of this lockdown. By then the damage caused may be irreversible.
The government must realise the importance and value of our wonderful industry to the country’s economy and support it fully in order for it to fully recover.
This advice was supplied by Master Chefs of Great Britain
