Staff in large office buildings are being advised by their bosses to restrict movements during the next month or two to reduce the chances of bringing Coronavirus into their workplaces. However, staff still need to eat and so National office provider Offices.co.uk is asking local restaurants to step up and switch to providing takeaway food.
“All the staff in our buildings across the UK still need feeding, and we are asking local restaurants to contact their neighbouring office buildings to help provide takeaway food during the Coronavirus shut down”, explains Jonathan Ratcliffe from Offices.co.uk
One of the main concerns in the food and drink industry is that Coronavirus has the potential to cause huge financial damage to businesses which thrive on busy environments, which people are now actively avoiding.
“We don’t want to see any of our restaurant neighbours hurt financially through this crisis, and therefore ask local food outlets to step up and provide food to people directly – we need to work together” says Jonathan
In order to prevent the spread of the virus, and the financial strain this will inevitably result in, restaurants can prepare themselves for Coronavirus with these five essential tips:
1. Get strict on hand washing
Hand washing is already a strict priority in the catering industry, but with the current COVID-19 outbreak, hygiene needs to step up a gear. Staff should always be encouraged to take a more vigilant approach to hand washing, including washing hands after touching their face, surfaces and after handling equipment.
2. Stock up on sanitiser
Make sure that every sink in the restaurant, in both the kitchen area and restrooms, has a plentiful supply of hand sanitiser. Some experts think it’s more hygienic to dry hands using paper towels than air dryers, so have plenty of tissues available for easy disposal.
3. Wipe surfaces frequently
As well as following religious hand washing, restaurant staff should get into the habit of frequently disinfecting surfaces and door handles used by patrons, particularly in the restaurant area and restrooms. Germs can survive on surfaces for several hours, so the more often you wipe them away, the less chances they have to multiply.
4. Time off work
Restaurants are busy places that rely heavily on their staff. Should an employee experience Coronavirus symptoms they might not want to let the rest of the team down by not coming into work. However, restaurant bosses have a duty to reassure staff that they would be better off self-isolating at home if they suffer from symptoms, or have visited a high-risk area and feel unwell.
5. Focus on takeaways
People may choose to avoid public places if a widespread epidemic of the Coronavirus occurs, which could result in a drop in restaurant trade. Consider focusing on a takeaway service instead. That way, you can still serve customers, albeit from their homes, without losing valuable custom.
“We’d like to see more restaurants making a switch to delivery during the next few months, office buildings make great places to serve large amounts of food into with minimum risk to spreading Coronavirus”, concludes Ratcliffe.
