General COVID-19 Guidelines for Restaurants and Bars
Risk Assessment Levels
The risk of COVID spreading increases as individuals interact more with others, and for longer periods of time. Here are the different risk-assessment levels for types of food service at restaurants and bars:
Low: Food service is limited to off-site dining (drive-thru, delivery, & take-out)
Moderate: Food service emphasizes off-site dining, but includes on-site dining outdoors with tables spaced 6 feet apart.
Moderately-High: Food service offers on-site dining both indoors and outdoors where seating capacity is limited to space tables 6 feet apart.
High: Food service offers on-site dining both indoors and outdoors where seating capacity is not reduced and tables are not 6 feet apart.
4 Things to Reduce the Risk of COVID-19
Restaurants and bars can help lower the risk of exposure at their establishment by following four general guidelines:
1. Regulate a Healthy Environment:
Cleaning and Disinfection: Frequent cleaning and disinfection of highly-touched surfaces allows restaurants to catch and kill viruses before they spread through the environment.
Use products that are appropriate for the surface and that meet EPA disinfection standards
Follow the instructions of the manufacturer to ensure most effective disinfection
Educate staff and create a routine on proper cleaning procedures and safety protocols for use of disinfectants.
Ensure cleaning and disinfectant residues are not left on table surfaces. Residues can cause allergic reactions or ingestion of harmful chemicals.
Establish a schedule for regular cleaning and disinfection of surfaces
Designate locations for disinfectant storage that avoid contact with food and harm with employees and others.
Use gloves when handling trash bins. Wash hands after removing gloves.
Shared Objects: Limit the sharing and trading of items that are difficult to clean and disinfect in order to reduce the routes of transmission within the environment.
Discourage sharing of food, technology, equipment, and supplies between staff members. Stock with adequate supplies to reduce sharing.
Consider using disposable or digital menus, single-use condiment packets, and no touch technology for bathroom appliances and trash bins.
Use touchless payment options, if available. Avoid hand-to-hand contact by asking customers to place cash or card on receipt trays or countertops.
Make sure to clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects such as pens, tables, and other hard surfaces. Encourage customers to use their own pens.
Utilize disposable food service items whenever possible. If this is not possible, ensure that dishes, utensils, and cups are washed with water and soap or in a dishwasher. Any linen items should be changed after every customer use.
Minimize the use of food and beverage utensils brought in by customers
Ventilation: Adequate air flow can play a role in reducing and preventing airborne disease transmission.
Allow outdoor ventilation through common spaces by opening windows and doors
Do not open doors or windows if it poses a safety risk for customers or employees
Prioritize outdoor seating if possible
Re-design Layout and Food Service Procedures: Spacing customers or parties farther apart from each other can help lower the transmission of airborne viruses.
Modify the restaurant and bar layouts to ensure all tables are 6 feet apart.
Limit seating capacity
If possible, offer off-site dining (i.e. delivery or take out)
Discourage crowded waiting areas through technology notifications or signage posted around the establishment
Avoid any style of self-serve food service, such as buffets or fountain stations.
Physical Barriers and Guides: When physical distancing is hard to maintain, barriers and guides can permit closer interactions and act as reminders, respectively.
Place physical barriers, such as sneeze guards, where it is hard to stay 6 feet apart. These are typically at pay stations, host stands, or food pick up counters.
Position guides on the floor in areas where lines form or crowds gather to space parties out by 6 feet
Common Spaces: Break rooms are often locations where employees relax on COVID-19 guidelines and preventative habits, increasing the risk for exposure.
Close shared spaces. Otherwise, stagger break times with cleaning and disinfecting between.
2. Manage a Healthy Crew
Protections for Employees at Higher Risk: Older adults or anyone with certain underlying health conditions are at higher risks for severe illness.
Offer options to limit exposure risk such as modified job responsibilities (inventory or virtual administrative work).
In accordance to law, develop and implement policies that protect the health privacy of those at higher risks for severe illness.
Regulatory Awareness: Local and state policies are constantly changing as the pandemic develops and scientists are learning more about COVID-19.
Commit to regular review of local and state policies and recommendations for businesses and hosting large group events.
Avoid group gatherings where physical distancing cannot be maintained
Staggered Shifts: During shift crossover, the number of employees present typically doubles, increasing the risk of exposure.
Stagger the start time for shifts to limit the number of employees present
If possible, reduce staff during nontraditional meal times
Consider using virtual work opportunities to practice physical distancing in the workplace
Travel and Transit: Public transit is a high risk environment for viral transmission due to the contained environment and inability to practice physical distancing.
Encourage employees who use public transportation to use other transportation options (walking/biking, driving/riding in a car with household members only) in order to reduce the risk of exposure.
Modify shift hours for employees to follow less busy traffic times.
Request that all employees wash their hands once they arrive
Designated COVID-19 Coordinator: As individuals continue life and companies conduct business through a pandemic, COVID concerns will arise. With order and clear directive, these issues can be managed.
Appoint one person per shift to be responsible for COVID concerns as they arise.
This individual can assist in daily tasks and the planning of business policy.
Communication System: A point of contact to carry out communication about COVID symptoms, positive tests, or exposures allows employers to make informed decisions to reduce the risk of exposure.
Utilize the CScreener daily screening application and additional resources for effective communication about reducing the risk of exposure at the workplace.
Time Off Policies: A pandemic from a novel virus comes with unpredictability such as sickness, exposure, or caretaking not suitable for a regular work life.
Create flexible sick leave policies and practices for employees that need to quarantine due to sickness, exposure, or caring for someone who is sick.
Policies should allow employees to stay home without penalty for taking time off in order to stay away from coworkers. Additionally, policies should allow for employees to stay home with children due to irregular school or childcare hours.
Consider offering virtual work for employees who need to be home
Design policies for return to work after COVID-19 illnesses.
Research local, state, and CDC guidelines for discontinuing at home isolation.
Back-Up Staffing: Preparing for the unpredictability of sickness, exposure, and caretaking can relieve some stress of the pandemic.
Track absenteeism among employees to review reasons for time off.
Cross-train employees in different positions to create back-up staff.
Staff Training: As local, state, and CDC policies change it’s important for businesses to keep their staff updated to these guidelines.
Train all employees in safety guidelines (Cleaning & Disinfection, Hand Washing, and Face Masks).
If possible, conduct training virtually or ensure physical distancing and face masks are practiced.
Recognize Signs and Symptoms: Knowledge of the symptoms associated with COVID allows individuals to identify potential illnesses and initiate self-isolation.
Use CScreener as a daily symptom checker before any employee enters the workspace.
If possible, conduct symptom screenings for customers safely and respectfully in order to further reduce the risk of exposure.
Train staff on the basic symptoms of COVID-19 to allow them to identify potential illnesses before they spread.
Support Coping and Resilience: The COVID-19 pandemic is known to have a negative effect on mental health. Respect and support the mental state of employees through a variety of ways.
Recommend employees to participate in healthy lifestyles (healthy eating, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and relaxation).
Encourage employees to talk with people they trust about their concerns and their feelings.
3. Develop Procedures for Sick Employees
Advise Home Isolation: Self-isolation is the best way individuals can have a role in lowering the transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
Refer sick employees to Applied OC’s article about At-Home Practices for Sick Individuals.
Communicate with employees that they cannot return to work until they have met the CDC’s criteria for ending home isolation.
Isolate Those Who are Sick: CScreener daily symptom checking allows businesses to reduce exposure before employees even enter the workplace.
Make certain that employees know not to enter the workplace if they received a red screen from the CScreener app and that they should communicate with the COVID coordinator about their status.
Immediately separate sick employees or customers with COVID-19 symptoms. These sick individuals should be advised to go home or to a healthcare facility, depending on the level of illness severity.
Clean and Disinfect: If an exposure occurs at a facility, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces is essential to isolating the exposure and reducing spread.
Close off areas used by the sick individual and do not return to use until after it has been cleaned and disinfected.
Wait 24 hours before cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. If 24 hours is not possible, wait as long as possible.
Open doors and windows to increase ventilation during the waiting period.
If it has been 7 days since a sick individual was in contact with surfaces at the facility, cleaning and disinfection is not necessary.
For instructions on cleaning and disinfection, follow this link to an Applied OC article or this link to more CDC guidelines.
Notify Health Officials and Contact Tracing: When, in fact, an outbreak occurs at a business, contact tracing assists in determining who has been exposed and might be infected.
Using the CScreener app, take limited personal information from customers (name, email, and phone number) in order to contact them later if an exposure occurred while they were dining.
If an exposure occurs, contact public health officials and offer this information for the officials to effectively warn customers.
Advise others who were in contact with the sick individual to quarantine at home while self-monitoring. If close contact occurred, recommend getting a viral test.
4. Acknowledge and Encourage Risk-Reducing Behaviors
Staying at Home when Appropriate: When employees themselves understand the signs of when they should remain at home and act accordingly, the risk of exposure in the workplace is drastically reduced.
Train staff on when it is appropriate to stay home or when it is safe to return to work
Employees should stay home if they’ve been exposed, tested positive, or begin having symptoms.
Follow the CDC’s criteria for returning to work
Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette: SARS-CoV-2 spreads through respiratory droplets in the air and on surfaces. When good hygiene and etiquette is practiced, the risk of viral transmission is reduced.
Require and encourage regular hand washing among employees, especially when preparing food and after touching garbage.
The CDC recommends only to use gloves when removing garbage bags or removing trash.
Hands should be washed immediately after gloves are removed.
Urge employees to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or facial cloth.
Hands should be immediately washed or sanitized.
More information from Applied OC on proper hand washing procedures.
Cloth Face Coverings: Although not capable of ending the pandemic by themselves, facial masks are essential in reducing the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Require the use of face masks for all staff.
Do NOT place face coverings on…
Children less than 2 years of age
Anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious
Anyone who is unable to remove the face mask without assistance
Face coverings are important in protecting others as the infection status of the wearer is unknown even if symptoms are not present.
Read more information from Applied OC on proper mask maintenance.
Adequate Supplies: Reducing the risk of exposure requires essentials, such as masks, cleaning supplies, and other technologies. When these supplies are limited in supply, the risk of transmission can greatly increase.
Make certain that there are sufficient amounts of supplies that support risk-reducing behaviors.
Soap & Hand Sanitizer
Paper towels, tissues, & disinfecting wipes
Face masks & gloves
No-touch trash bins
Signs and Messages: When customers are aware of COVID-19 protocols and act accordingly, the risk of exposure is greatly reduced while still maintaining the purpose and essence of the business.
Post messages (both at the restaurant and on social media) about risk-reducing behaviors in order to inform vendors, staff, customers, and the local community about the protocols followed at the business.
Create signage in visible locations with instructions on proper preventative habit procedures, such as hand washing or face coverings.
Follow this link for free CDC digital resources regarding restaurants and bars.
*For auditory and visual depictions on risk-reducing behaviors, the CDC created a video regarding considerations for restaurants and bars.
**The above information and protocols are suggestions by the CDC to reduce the exposure risk in the workplace. For specific restrictions, visit the Applied OC’s article on city-specific guidelines. Otherwise, visit your City and/or State’s Department of Public Health to view any published guidelines required for Restaurant and Bar reopening.
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