The Top 5 Things You Need to Do to Reopen

When the time comes for your establishment to reopen, chances are you will not be able to just go back to business as usual. Not only does taking the proper precautions protect the health of your staff and customers, showing them you are taking action will help them feel safe dining and working at your establishment.

To ensure you are prepared for to reopen, we’ve put together five important tasks for you to complete:

1. Develop a strategy for cleaning and disinfecting your establishment. Put together a list of what needs to be cleaned, what needs to be disinfected, and how often each surface needs to be treated. Surfaces that aren’t frequently touched only need to be cleaned, while high-contact surfaces such as condiment holders, countertops, napkin dispensers, etc. will need to be disinfected. Depending on how customers or staff interact with the surface, suggestions for disinfecting frequencies include once an hour or between each customer use. You should also decide how you will communicate this strategy to your customers – they will want to know the steps you are taking to protect them.
2. Identify soft, porous surfaces that won’t be as easy to clean, such as rugs. If possible, you should remove these from trafficked areas to eliminate the need to clean them.
3. Compile the equipment and other resources you will need to implement this cleaning plan. Not only will you need cleaning and disinfectant supplies, you will need to make sure you have adequate staff on hand to perform the necessary cleaning without neglecting your customers. Provide detailed cleaning instructions to ensure that all staff are disinfecting properly.
4. Arrange your entry and seating areas to promote social distancing. Make sure there is more than six feet between tables, eliminate bar seating when possible, etc. You can even plan out walking lanes to keep the flow of customers and staff as smooth as possible.
5. If your staff is interacting with customers, decide on appropriate safety gear – if masks are needed, you should make sure they are cleaned daily. Don’t forget to train your staff on how to properly use/wear this safety gear.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has created a reopening document that goes into more detail on these steps. The CDC has provided additional guidance on how to implement and maintain a plan once you reopen.

For restaurants and other foodservice establishments in Iowa, make sure you are following the Iowa Restaurant Reopening Criteria.