4 minute read
The adapted Covid-19 restaurant space – advice
THE ADAPTED Covid-19
RESTAURANT SPACE
Ben Hartley, design lead at Café Reality (www.cafereality.co.uk) – a supplier to the commercial leisure market of furniture and related accessories - proposes how a restaurant space could be adapted to help be ‘Covid secure’.
SOCIAL DISTANCING PROVISION
The government’s plan for exiting the coronavirus lockdown targeted 4 July as the earliest date from which the hospitality sector could start to re-open, and while some pubs and restaurants remained open during lockdown for limited takeaway orders, this has not been economically viable for most pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants, and in some cases not possible at all.
And now the biggest challenge when it comes to re-opening stems from accommodating the social distancing rules, as these establishments tend to be based on high turnover, low margin models.
Another key factor that we are facing is the public’s confidence to return safely, in high numbers. We have spent the last three months practising social distancing and adapting to hygienic safety measures, so we will need to be confident that each social environment is 100% Covid-compliant. At Café Reality, we have created a Covid-19 compliant restaurant layout which takes into account the measures which have now been discussed, developed and proposed by government officials and professionals from the hospitality industry.
WHAT SHOULD BE EXPECTED?
On arrival and prior to entering, customers may be greeted by a member of staff who will be known as a ‘host’. Their role will be to welcome customers, show them to their tables and manage queues.
There may also be a member of staff known as the ‘restaurant safety monitor’ who will be responsible for maintaining levels of hygiene to keep customers safe. This individual is also likely to be a clear point of contact for customers or members of staff who wish to raise any concerns surrounding hygiene levels.
STAFF WEARING MASKS AND GLOVES?
If British pubs, for example, choose to follow the lead of other European establishments that have already re-opened their doors, then hosts and safety monitors in this environment, and indeed other members of staff, will very likely need to wear facemasks, and bar staff should also wear latex gloves when it comes to preparing drinks.
CONTACTLESS ORDERING USING APPS
Encourage customers to order food and drink via an app on their mobile phones. This has already been implemented by Wetherspoons, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and has proven to be extremely successful.
The Hungrrr app, for instance, is one example which allows customers with an iPhone or android phone to order food and drinks without leaving their seat.
A REDUCTION OF TABLES AND CHAIRS, CREATING MORE SPACE
In order to manage social distancing, existing restaurant furniture, café tables and dining chairs, and alike, will need to be reduced, reconfigured and spaced out.
AN INCREASE IN AL FRESCO DINING, OUTDOOR FURNITURE, AND MARKET-STYLE FOOD STALLS
In response to managing social distancing effectively in restaurants and pubs, government ministers are also drawing up plans to relax outdoor seating licenses.
This could potentially entail closing some roads to allow for extra tables and chairs to be utilised and lifting some
pavement restrictions. The local high street may soon resemble the al fresco cafés and bars in Spain, France or Italy. Consider purchasing outdoor furniture to help with increasing table numbers in the sunshine or a parasol in case it rains.
AN INCREASE IN PROTECTIVE FLOOR SCREENS
During the beginning stages of lockdown, many architects and interior designers created conceptual ideas of work establishments, schools, pubs, cafés and restaurants post lockdown.
Some of these ideas were quite alarming, featuring clinical looking acrylic or glass screens at every turn or point of contact. Suppliers and manufacturers are now designing and manufacturing screens that are ‘warm’ and ‘friendly’, with rustic wood or leather panels ideal for the hospitality industry.
Our Protect Express Protection Screens, for example, feature a black frame and lower panel in a choice of marble, wood or Chesterfield leather effect which will compliment several different environments.
Another type of screen that has been popular is the Future Protection Mobile Goal Post screen and Protect Floor Standing Wooden Goal Post Screen. These screens are lightweight as the lower area remains open, almost halving the weight of a standard full panel screen and allow for wrapped cutlery, condiments, or single use menus to be passed through if necessary. This is a suitable lightweight solution for when you need to configure spaces or seating areas quickly and easily. The wheeled castor feet mean they can be pushed along effortlessly too.
A ONE-WAY SYSTEM
It is likely that you will need to ask customers to follow a oneway system and they will not be allowed to leave through the entrance, only through clearly marked exit points.
Toilets may also require a one in, one out policy, potentially utilising a traffic light system.
Those restaurants and pubs which can adapt to the new environment quickly and easily should be able to recreate the ‘pub and dining experience’ without too much compromise.
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