2020 was definitely a rough year for the restaurant industry. The pandemic arrived, and most eateries had to shut down. Some of them have been able to continue with a delivery or takeout-only model.
Now, the FDA has approved two different vaccines, and it’s possible that they might approve a third soon, from Johnson and Johnson. That means that we can vaccinate more people faster, and hopefully, put Covid-19 in the rearview.
More people may start coming back to restaurants as well. Eateries will be happy that they can go back to their previous business model. However, some individuals still might avoid restaurants since they have ordered in for months, and they enjoy doing so.
Such people might stay away from eateries due to additional concerns that go beyond the coronavirus. They might worry about other unsafe restaurant conditions.
Let’s look at some of the primary unsafe eatery conditions that customers might fear and what you might do to get rid of them.
Slippery Floors
Some older individuals are reluctant to go places because they’re afraid of a slip and fall accident. They don’t want to break a wrist or a hip. They may go to stores only infrequently and restaurants as well.
The reality is that the internet allows such individuals to remain at home and order virtually anything they want to come to them, whether that’s a hot meal or a household item. Amazon can provide a dazzling array of options, while GrubHub and Door Dash handle their dining needs.
To convince them to return to your restaurant, owners and operators should always put out adequate signage if there’s a wet floor or some other unsafe condition. The CDC mentions that over 3 million Americans must go to the emergency room for fall-related trauma every year, so this is a legitimate concern.
Undercooked Food
Some restaurants also have an undercooked food problem. Sometimes, you might have an inexperienced worker on the grill or handling the fry station.
If your chefs send out chicken or fish that they did not cook thoroughly, that can make a guest very sick. They might stop eating once they realize the problem, but they may also eat enough of their meal so that they will need to go to the hospital afterward.
Make sure you train your chefs to cook the food all the way through. They should learn about internal temperature and how long each item should be on the grill, in the fryer, or in the oven.
Burns
Some people worry about burning themselves when they go to restaurants as well. If your servers carry food out to a customer, and they can see that the entree or the plate is scalding hot, they should always warn the customer about that.
A diner might also opt for sizzling fajitas or something that comes out on a very hot platter. The server should warn them about that too.
Some restaurants even have items on the menu, such as duck a l’orange flambe, which the server sets on fire at the table. It’s an exciting effect, but make sure that your server knows to keep the duck far back enough from your customers that they don’t burn off their eyebrows. If the dish burns them, you’re probably looking at a lawsuit.
Improper Food Handling
Some guests worry about food that the restaurant does not store at the proper temperature. Your chefs should know that they need to cook the food all the way through, but if they left it sitting out at room temperature for multiple hours, that food might not be safe to consume, even if they prepare it properly.
You need to keep the raw food elements sufficiently chilled before you cook them. That means checking the freezers periodically to make sure that they’re running like they should be.
Sanitation Issues
Some potential restaurant guests also worry about visiting an establishment where the workers do not wash their hands or maintain proper hygiene. If your restaurant doesn’t strictly enforce hand-washing rules after an employee uses the restroom, that can be a problem.
Ensure that there are prominent signs reminding employees to wash their hands with soap and hot water after they use the bathroom. They should also keep their hair pulled back and possibly secured with hairnets if warranted.
If you can show your customers that you run a clean, safe restaurant, that might be enough to convince them to come back once the pandemic is behind us.
