By Noah Rue, Contributor

If you’re a restaurant owner or operator, you don’t need anyone to tell you how hard the food and hospitality industry has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. But even as hope in the rollout of the vaccines looms on the horizon, the fact is we’re still far from out of the woods.

Winter is here, the virus is surging again, and now frightening new strains are emerging. In response, municipalities across the nation and around the world are turning again to full or partial lockdowns. And restauranteurs everywhere are just trying to figure out a way to white knuckle through to the end of the pandemic.

No matter the state of your operations right now, whether you’re fully open or limited to carryout and delivery-only, it’s imperative that you keep abreast of the latest information you need to keep your customers and your employees safe.

Prevention, Planning, and “Proaction”

Restaurant guests social distance while waiting in line.

By now, we’re all pretty familiar with coronavirus symptoms, as well as the essentials of prevention. Masking up, wearing gloves, and practicing meticulous hygiene and sanitation, performing temperature checks on all employees and customers before they enter the premises — all of these are by now the standard of COVID prevention.

But it’s also important to remember that not every infectious person is symptomatic, and with a new and far more contagious strain making its way from the UK to the US, prevention has never been more vital.

Even if you’re not currently facing lockdowns, it is still a good idea to plan for any contingency. This includes the possibility that you might need or even be forced to transition to a primarily carryout or delivery operation for a term.

Doing this can not only mitigate the blow if increased restrictions are imposed in your area, but it can also decrease the likelihood that your employees or your guests will contract the virus in your restaurant. After all, the more you can do to limit person-to-person contact, the better.

If you have an online ordering and digital payment system, for instance, delivery can be virtually contactless. Even curbside pickup can involve minimal to no direct contact between employees and customers, helping to shield both while still driving business to your restaurant.

This is also a great opportunity to enhance your relationship with both your customers and your staff. Indeed, your business reputation is built far more firmly in periods of crisis than in ordinary times. From emails to phone calls to social media messaging, you can clearly communicate with your guests all that you are doing to protect them.

Best of all, you can inform them of the guidelines they’ll need to follow to protect themselves, as well as your employees, when dining at or ordering from your restaurant.

Setting the Stage for Safety

Even if you’re focusing on curbside, carryout, or delivery, your work is far from finished. You’ll still need to prioritize disease prevention in-house. Your employees are going to need to be trained and retrained in disinfection and safe food handling and preparation.

It’s also imperative to have a plan in place for employees who develop potential coronavirus symptoms. This means ensuring that they recognize the earliest possible signs of illness and that they self-isolate in strict adherence to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines.

For employees who are exposed to or are diagnosed with the virus, employees must understand that they are required to quarantine, whether or not they are symptomatic.

And if the worst should happen, and an employee or guest should experience a medical emergency, your team must understand that guidelines for providing aid are different today.

For example, chest compressions are not recommended by the CDC because of the respiratory droplets that may be emitted in this process. Instead, the CDC recommends the use of defibrillators, which can be purchased for commercial and public establishments, for anyone experiencing cardiac arrest or arrhythmias.

Getting Vaccine-Ready

Young woman wearing a mask getting a vaccine shot from a doctor also masked.

Each state has its own vaccination strategy, but the odds are that no matter where you are, as front-line workers, your restaurant staff will be among the first to be eligible for the vaccine. It’s important to begin educating your staff early about the vaccines, their safety, and your company policy regarding vaccinations. The more of your staff you can get promptly vaccinated, the safer your workforce and your guests will be.

You may also need to consult with your business’s attorney to formulate a plan for employees who may refuse to get the vaccine. This may require that the employee be placed on temporary leave in times of significant community spread, or the isolation of the employee from customers, who may not themselves be vaccinated or immune.

The Takeaway

Running a restaurant has never been easy, but in the age of coronavirus, it can sometimes feel next to impossible. There is light on the horizon, however. You just need to hold on a bit longer to ensure you’re engaging in the latest and best practices to protect your employees and your guests.