Quick Tips

Quick TIPS

FOR YOU, OUR FOODSERVICE PARTNER

OUR QUCK TIPS ON HOW TO GET BACK TO WORK

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The foodservice industry is slowly opening again at long last, even though we won’t be able to go back to normal just yet. Restaurant owners, kitchen and waiting staff will consequently have to give very serious thought on how they go about their work in a world where COVID-19 is ever present. Here are some top tips to help you on the way for your business, your menu, the kitchen and your communication.

1

TABLE & MENU

Keen to welcome guests in your establishment again? Then you will have to adjust everything, down to the minutest detail, to our brave new social distancing way of life and the literally vital need to keep everything virus-free and safe.

DINING TABLE LAYOUT One of the big questions is: how do I make absolutely sure that guests can keep from each other? Is there enough space between tables for the waiting staff to move about? How do you make distance rhyme with cosy? side tables as and when necessary to place food and drinks. Another solution is to install plexiglass partitions between the tables in order to separate your staff from your guests.

TERRACE Do you have a terrace? Then make sure it is accessible for your guests only and make sure that disinfecting gel is readily available at the terrace entrance at all times.

ON THE TABLE Now is not the right time to clutter a table with all sorts of herbs, spices and sauces. Instead, you should opt for individually packaged essentials such as salt and pepper which can easily be brought by staff upon request.

Cutlery should not be placed on the table in advance either, but brought in a paper cutlery holder.

MENU You can seize this inadvertent opportunity to switch to a 100% online version of your menu all the information on your website and social media so that your guests can peruse it with their smartphone.

QR-code. You can also switch to disposable paper menus and table mats which you may already have if you run a fast-food restaurant.

Another good idea is a suggestion board.

Finally, it is best to provide a separate menu for your take-away.

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BEVERAGES Most guests would probably not be comfortable seeing the waiter or sommelier holding a bottle several times. Let them serve themselves. You can also work with half-litre bottles for smaller portions.

CLASSICS READY-TO-USE Convenience or ready-to-use products can prove very helpful when working with a small staff in the kitchen, such as quality stock, basic sauces and soups but also desserts.

CONDENSED MENU A smaller menu means that your guests will choose faster. This will shorten the guest turnaround time and free a table several times in one evening.

So stick to your classics on the new menu!

That’s what your guests will come back for!

TAKE-AWAY & DELIVERY Offer these services to compensate for the reduced number of tables. Encourage your guests to try the takeaway service now and then, by giving them a complimentary meal for the rest of the week, for instance.

2

SAFETY & HYGIENE

safety and containing the contamination risk.

SICK STAFF

KEEP DISINFECTING

Take no risk whatsoever. If a member of your staff feels sick, faint, is coughing or has a fever, make sure he or she stays home.

Disinfect your hands thoroughly whenever you enter a new area such as a terrace, the welcome counter or the kitchen.

CHECK THE TEMPERATURE

CLEANING SHOW

Body temperature is a good indicator of a person’s health. You can ask your staff to take their temperature when they start their working day. You can moreover use such tools to check the temperature of your guests for the sake of even greater safety.

Guests are bound to attach the utmost importance to hygiene. So do not hesitate to indicate clearly - including on the front door how often and how thoroughly you clean.

PERSONAL HYGIENE Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 30 seconds between each preparation. Avoid touching your face with your hands, especially when preparing food.

Always wear a mouth mask when working to protect your colleagues and guests. Gloves are also recommended where possible.

Disinfect, rinse and scrub everything, from the tables between each guest, but also door handles for instance, in a decidedly visible manner. Use odourless cleaning and disinfecting agents.

Bear in mind, that cleaning products must contain 70% alcohol to kill the coronavirus.

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TOILET Leave absolutely no doubt in the toilets that guests and staff must wash their hands - and do not hesitate to provide tips on how to do so properly -- on a poster, for instance.

Do NOT use hot air blowers. Use paper towels that can be disposed of immediately, preferably in a foot-operated waste bin.

Clean the toilets every 2 hours and indicate as much.

FOOD HYGIENE Wash fruit and vegetables systematically with clean water, especially if they are not cooked subsequently.

We recommend preparing food separately as much as possible.

WORKING EFFICIENTLY Serve dishes that require little handling.

Restrict movements.

Make sure that your kitchen staff need to move as little as possible, e.g. by having one person prepare the same dish throughout the entire shift.

DELIVERY AND STORAGE

1,5 m

Clean your refrigerator and kitchen surfaces even more frequently than usual. Clean kitchen utensils with detergent whenever you use them for different ingredients to prevent cross-contamination.

LIVRAISON & CONSERVATION You want as little contact as possible with people from ‘outside’ such as delivery personnel. Designate a place where products can be dropped off safely. Store your food properly - in other words, raw food to be consumed must not come into contact with cooked food - and remove the outer packaging immediately. Make sure that the best before date is still clearly visible.

ORGANIZATION Organize your kitchen and menu in such a way that your staff can work alone as much as possible. Make sure that everyone has his or her own workstation and can maintain a distance of 1.5 m.

3

COMMUNICATION & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

Digital tools will become increasingly more important in the near future and will help you your customers. But keep in mind that your communication “in real life” is also still important.

CLARITY Communicate clearly online, on your website and/or social media about your measures and facilities to reassure your guests. Do not hesitate to raise issues such as distance, hygiene solutions and new rules of conduct by and between your staff and guests. Striking a positive tone is paramount.

VIDEO We advise you to make a video for your website or social media to reassure your guests further with the human factor. This video should feature: • A general introduction in which you stress that this period has been maddening for everyone, but that you are delighted to welcome your guests again.

• A part of the measures taken by the staff, where they are seen washing their hands, cleaning, etc.

• Images of all the new measures, measures such as tables farther apart and individual bottles of disinfecting gel.

• An appeal to the guests themselves urging them to stay at home when they are ill and wishing them a speedy recovery.

RESERVATIONS Ask your guests to reserve a table in advance. They can do so online, on the website or by e-mail or SMS.

DIGITAL AND CONTACTLESS PAYMENT Contactless payments only have been possible in retail outlets for some time now, and the trend is gaining ground in the hotel and catering industry as well. Apps such as Samsung Play and Apple Pay can be used to make payments without any contact between people or objects. For higher amounts or if the guest’s card works only with a magnetic strip, you must disinfect the terminal slot immediately after payment.

Another smart solution consists of placing disposable cotton swabs next to the terminal so that guests can use them to enter their code. In such a case, a small waste bin is essential.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT BIDFOOD

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