What does a restaurant manager do?

General Managers are responsible for all operations, hiring and training staff, the restaurant’s budget, updating menu items with the kitchen staff, monitoring inventory, ensuring all equipment is working and procedures are up to code as well as working with vendors and customers to solve problems and complaints. Add to that the current challenges of the coronavirus with its enhanced concerns for safety and cleanliness with fewer tables and less revenue. That’s a lot!

So, what changes need to be made as we move into the re-opening phase of this pandemic?

Flexibility is the name of the game. Restrictions are changing daily and the ability to pivot with the changes will make all the difference. Resilient leaders will be able to shift their mindsets, navigate the uncertainties and continue to build trust with their customers and employees.

Restaurants that are successful in the recovery phase have to make some clear choices about where, how, and when they want to reopen. Managers will need to decide what the recovery will look like for their establishment, anticipate what customers will demand in order to feel comfortable to return, be willing to make quick changes as restrictions evolve, and sense when it’s the right time to emerge back into the market.

Once those decisions have been made, some tactical choices will be required, such as how to ensure worker safety, guest safety, and food safety and what steps will it take to rebuild customer trust that your location is safe and ready to open. New food safety and sanitation protocols will be instituted as well as spatial changes. You’ll have to rethink your spaces to limit close contact and mitigate infection.

Some practical concerns:

• Is it possible to create a separate entrance and exit for staff vs. guests?
• Is there a separate space for staff to change into PPE (masks, gloves, aprons, etc.)?
• Do you have a space for a safe food exchange between the front and back of the house?
• Is there a space for outdoor seating?
• How can you arrange your seating to accommodate social distancing?
• Is the ventilation adequate inside the restaurant?
• Will you be able to visibly demonstrate the steps you’ve taken to keep customers safe?

Restaurants that have qualified through food safety certification programs such as ServSafe will be in a strong position to follow the new safety protocols and prevent foodborne illness. Another resource for learning more about guidelines and recommended practices for safety can be found in the recently updated COVID-19 Restaurant Reopening Guidance.

Food pick-up and delivery is here to stay. The FDA requires every facility to have a person in charge of food safety on-site during operating hours and that person should have a food manager certification. Educating your food handlers protects them as well as your guests. Embrace and invest in technology for contactless payment systems, automated ordering, and mobile ordering apps. Website updates and texting can really help you communicate with guests without direct contact. 

Operational Considerations:  You should check all employees’ temperatures pre-shift; noting that CDC guidelines state the minimum that indicates a fever is 100.4 degrees. If they are sent home, they must be symptom-free for 3 days before returning to work. You’ll need to establish procedures to transport sick employees home or to a health care facility and notify local health officials, staff, and customers.

Limit your party size per table to no more than the “maximum approved” by CDC, consider reservations-only or call-ahead seating and provide physical guides and signs so customers can remain six feet apart. Of course, for now, waitstaff will wear face-coverings and gloves, and menus will be disposable or downloaded onto smart devices along with touchless payment options.

Plexiglas shields will ensure cashiers and guests can remain safe while completing payments. Provide hand sanitizer stations throughout the restaurant and determine the best ingress and egress to and from restrooms. Limit the number of employees that can be in the break room at one time and train all employees on disinfecting protocols using EPA-registered disinfectant products.

Moving forward

In the near future, the question for customers will be less about the food, and more about what steps the restaurant has taken to ensure health and safety. Restaurants must continue to offer safe and contactless delivery and takeout options for those not ready to dine in and embrace the guidelines for distancing, capacity, and party size. Those who are successful will likely be managing with less staff, higher overhead, and a heightened focus on safety. 

The restaurant industry will see a new reality post-pandemic. Until a vaccine is available, there will possibly be a resurgence of cases in certain areas of the country and reduced dining rooms as a result. Curbside delivery is here to stay. “We will be much stronger and more efficient on the other side of this,” says Park of the Garbanzo franchise. Fingers crossed.