Restaurants, cafes and pubs look set to reopen for indoor diners in the coming days, so here’s our no-nonsense, quick-fire list of things to check before opening your doors.
Before we get onto the checklist, let’s recap the current roadmap for pubs and restaurants across the UK:
England
Pubs with outdoor spaces were allowed to reopen in England on Monday 12 April.
From 17 May, establishments can reopen indoors again. The rule of six applies inside, and groups of up to 30 will be allowed outdoors.
Scotland
Pubs and restaurants in Scotland were permitted to reopen from 26 April, with a “modified” version of level three restrictions for indoor and outdoor services.
From 17 May:
Wales
Pubs and restaurants have been allowed to open outdoors from 26 April, with indoor services going forward to follow England’s on May 17. Although details are yet to be formally announced, it is thought they will include:
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has allowed pubs and restaurants to open their outdoor areas from 30 April. There’s a graduated roadmap in place:
Review Food Safety Management system and re-document as necessary:
Review and amend physical infrastructure for social distancing:
Check for and rectify possible pest control issues
Check all staff rotas are in place with staff availability confirmed.
Consider the opportunity to bring in staff with the best track records
Make clear to staff their own responsibilities under social distancing guidelines and personal hygiene
Carry out training needs analysis, to ensure staff are up to speed after their prolonged absence. Carry out any training required.
Ensure all personal alcohol licenses are valid
Contact food and sundry suppliers and establish opening times and delivery schedules
Contact waste disposal companies to ensure continuity of waste services
Confirm product availability and pricing
Carry out a stick check of essential items, including consumables
Ensure sufficient stocks of PPE
Review costs
Communicate to customers that you’re reopening, and give them lots of information:
Check POS system is functioning with up to date pricing and inventory
Ensure effective track & trace protocols are in place
Check all moth-balled kitchen appliances for cleanliness and functionality
Test, flush and disinfect water system
Change telephone voicemail
Ensure the IT network, internet and Wi-Fi are secure and functional
Review booking and reservation systems
Establish new sales channels, such as meal kits, take-away and home dining
Ensure online booking is up to date, with e-menus
Establish methods for implementing waiting lists
Implement book-from-table and pay-from-table systems
We hope the above checklist is useful. If you have items we have missed, we would love to hear from you. Send your ideas to info@favouritetable.com.
Favouritetable provides reservation software, pre-booking modules, deposits and pre-payments functionality, take-away features backed by a full manager portal and a host of restaurant-centric features. We're passionate about restaurants, which is why we have developed the best value full-function restaurant software on the market.
Call us today on 033 0124 4785 or email us at info@favouritetable.com and we will be delighted to demonstrate what you will achieve with the right technology.