Best Sanitation Practices for Food and Restaurant Businesses in a Pandemic Era

August 12, 2020

The fight against the coronavirus pandemic rages on but businesses from all over the world have started to open up their doors again. In particular, the food industry has shown resilience during these times and many restaurants are now open for business. This is good news because it can indicate that the global economy will recover sooner or later. However, reopening a business during this time is not without challenges, which is why food establishments must take great measures to ensure the safety of their customers and their staff. Commercial pressure washing in Colorado Springs and other sanitation measures must be strictly implemented to reopen your food business while preventing the spread of the virus.

Customers Value Cleanliness as Much as Food

The importance of sanitation in restaurants during a pandemic. (Image Source: Unsplash)

Cleanliness and sanitation should be given high priority by food businesses and restaurants at all times, and they become even more valuable in this time of global pandemic. It is not only expected by your target audience — they demand it, too.

This isn’t surprising since making sanitation a priority is a sign of good customer service. Cleanliness is integral to food quality since it lets you ensure that the dishes you are serving are safe for people to consume. It also helps you create a good impression on your customers and allows you to build loyalty and trust. Remember: food safety has been an issue in the restaurant industry all over the world. If you can give your customers the assurance of food safety and quality, especially in these times, then you gain a competitive edge.

Perhaps the most important reason to focus on cleanliness (as much as you prioritize food quality) is that it reflects on your business. Food quality and cleanliness should go hand in hand, especially if you want to build a good brand image. If you want customers to keep coming back, then you must give them a reason to do so.

Sanitation: Unspoken Marketing for Food Businesses

All businesses should have sanitation stations that customers can use prior to entering the establishment. Employees should also be instructed to wear protective equipment, sanitize high-touch surfaces often, and provide excellent service while minimizing physical contact with customers. While these are basic steps that can be expected from food establishments, business owners can actually use them as a marketing strategy to set themselves apart from the crowd and attract more customers.

As restaurants and other types of food establishments reopen after the lockdown, many people are looking forward to dining out again. The increase in demand can make it tempting to focus on sales and ignore health and safety, but the latter two should remain to be a top priority for businesses. This is because many customers demand that restaurants set higher standards when it comes to cleanliness and sanitation, which is why restaurant owners must be able to demonstrate the measures they are taking to protect public health and safety.

All food businesses should make cleanliness and sanitation a priority. (Image Source: Unsplash)

Sanitation Strategies to Implement in Food Establishments

Cleaning should be done not only on high-touch surfaces but also throughout the rest of the establishment. Moreover, sanitation should be done frequently throughout the day rather than at the end of every business day. As microbes spread more easily in closed environments, it’s important for business owners to sanitize all areas every hour or so. To ensure that you can give your customers peace of mind while operating your food business during a pandemic, you can use the following tips:

  • Keep sanitation products visible and accessible to your customers. When you welcome diners into your restaurant or food establishment, you must give them confidence by providing sanitation products within reach. This will show emphasis being placed on maintaining proper sanitation and to ensure the safety of your guests.
  • Place appropriate markings on the floor and along pathways to encourage social distancing.
  • Install hands-free doors and sanitation stations.
  • Use disposable or digital menus whenever possible to minimize contact between servers and customers.
  • Encourage the use of digital or mobile payment options for cashless transactions.
  • Focus on employee health and discourage staff members with symptoms from reporting to work. If an employee has gotten sick while at work, send them home immediately and clean all the working surfaces that they might have touched.
  • Emphasize personal hygiene among staff, especially those who are directly involved with food preparation. Make sure they wash their hands properly every few minutes.
  • Encourage customers to wear a face mask and other protective gear when entering your establishment.
  • Schedule regular cleaning of high-touch areas (such as counters and door handles) every few minutes or hours, depending on the volume of customers. Aside from this, you should also schedule a more thorough cleaning during non-operational hours; this way, you’ll have enough time to sanitize your floors and other surfaces.
  • Pay special attention to your kitchen since this is where the food preparation process mainly occurs. To remove all dirt and grease from your kitchen, make sure to use commercial-grade cleaning formulas and detergents and rent your equipment from a trusted company that specializes in commercial pressure washing in Colorado Springs. This way, you can give all of your surfaces a good clean and complete the pressure washing process in a fast and efficient manner.

Choosing the Right Pressure Washing Equipment

Best Sanitation Practices for Food and Restaurant Businesses in a Pandemic Era (Image Source: Unsplash)

Keep your customers’ minds secure when you hire PSI Systems Inc. to handle your pressure washing needs. We offer a wide range of pressure washing brands for you to choose from, which include Karcher, Reznor, Hotsy, and Watermaze, and we can guarantee that each of our equipment can provide you with the best possible results. When you rely on our expertise in commercial pressure washing in Colorado Springs, you can rest assured that we won’t disappoint and that you’ll get great value for money.

If you cannot afford to purchase new equipment, don’t worry since we also provide equipment rental. Renting our machines gives you flexibility when budgeting for your pressure washing and cleaning needs and allows you to maintain sanitation and cleanliness without having to worry about the costs, which is especially advantageous for smaller businesses or startups.

If you want to learn more about how you can get the pressure washing solutions for your food business, call (719) 636-3388 if you are based in Colorado Springs. For a company that has been around since 1985, we can assure that our team will be able to satisfy your cleaning and sanitation needs.