COVID-19 and Restaurants: 10 Ways To Stay Open With PPE Equipment
Every business has been impacted in one way or another by COVID-19, but perhaps one of the most acutely changed is the restaurant industry. Even in areas where the virus isn’t as pronounced, indoor dining has been largely banned for safety reasons. This has made for an enormous shift where takeout/fast casual has become the norm for the entire industry, with outdoor dining being the next viable option.
While these measures help to an extent, there are still a lot of remaining concerns with virus transfer in terms of restaurant settings. It’s important for restaurant owners to know these risks and the equipment they can use to combat spread, both for current times as well as when indoor dining is allowed again, at reducing or full capacity.
Top Items To Fight COVID-19
Right now, we know that the best options to reduce spread in restaurant settings are keeping people as far apart from each other as possible, wearing masks whenever they can, and remaining in well-ventilated spaces. Regular cleaning regimens for shared surfaces and individual employees are also essential to lower the chance of spread. With this in mind, here’s some of the key equipment you need to make this happen.
1. Hand Sanitizer
Having Hand Sanitizer is going to be essential for pretty much any public or private setting in the months to come. This is the quickest way that people will be able to clean their hands and shared surfaces in order to avoid transmitting the virus through food dishes they hand off or any other sort of exchange. Note that if you are interested, we also have bulk sizes of hand sanitizer, so you can stock up for the long-term.
2. Surface Spray Sanitizer
While hand sanitizer is probably a necessity in any setting, not all delivery systems are created equal. For example, the gel form is great for individuals to carry around with them, but not so much if you need to clear off a table or counter in a hurry. Our 8 oz Hand Sanitizer Spray + Surface Cleaner, Made In USA is a better fit for these scenarios. As a combination of sanitizer spray and surface cleaner, you can quickly apply it to your hands or a shared surface for peace of mind. These can also be placed around your restaurant for quick use. You can also brand the bottles and your space by applying your company logo using full-color printing.
3. Sanitizer Wipes
Wiping down a table is a natural part of food safety in a restaurant, but now you may want to add some further viral protection as well. This is why options like sanitizer wipers are a good idea. Not only do they work just as well as gel or spray, they are also probably the easiest to set up in spaces for your employees or customers to use as they need it. Our options here include Custom Sanitizer Wipes – 160 Wipes Per Container. What’s notable about these is that they offer you the chance to promote your business while keeping everyone safe. Simply add the company logo to the container.
4. Hand Sanitizer Stations
The sanitizer options that we’ve covered so far are great for your employees to use to spot clean as part of their workplace regimen. But what about customers? After handling a shared surface like a doorknob, don’t be surprised to see that people wanting to clean their hands is a lot more commonplace. One key option here is working to install the Custom Sanitizer Station – Sanitizer Not Included. After buying your own gel hand sanitizer, you will be able to hold approximately 40 oz per station. This is also designed to make sure that there’s minimal transfer risk while using the station, with a built-in shield and touchless design that means no contact with levers or buttons. You also have the ability to add your company logo with a full-size laminated card via screen printing.
5. Cloth Reusable Face Masks
Masks are the signature piece of PPE people associate with this pandemic and for good reason. They play an essential role in minimizing the spread of particles from the mouth and nose that could infect others. As a result, some of the first PPE items your business should invest in are Custom Cotton Reusable Masks. These 4-layer masks are both breathable and comfortable, while still helping protect you and those around you. These also make for a great branding opportunity, utilizing your logo along with screen printing. As a secondary option, consider the Custom Champro Triple Layer Sublimated Cloth Mask. These easily wearable masks can be customized to include your full-color logo.
6. Social Distancing Window Clings/Floor Stickers
One of the most important initial steps that you will need to make is trying to mandate social distancing. For example, if you have multiple people waiting in line for a takeout order, they need to be standing six feet apart. We can help with this by using 12” Circle 6ft Apart Floor Decals. These can be used as a reference for customers to figure out how far apart they need to be. In addition, shifting to a new safety protocol can be hard for anyone, even restaurant veterans. That’s why it’s also a good idea to invest in
a COVID-19 Coronavirus Prevention Custom Utility Sign 5.5”x 8.5” Vinyl Sticker, with pertinent information on how to stay safe and reduce spread.
7. Contactless Infrared Thermometers
Part of the issue with COVID-19 is asymptomatic spread. People can feel perfectly fine and unwittingly spread the disease. Mask mandates are one of the best tools at the moment to try and address that section of the population. With fevers being one of the most common symptoms, taking temperatures is one of the best ways to detect those experiencing mild symptoms. With the workplace culture of pushing through mild illness, this is a way to protect customers and employees from themselves. Simply do a scan before people are allowed to enter your restaurant.
Items like our Wall Mounted Infrared Contactless Thermometer are the perfect match for these screening settings. They read temperatures quickly and have an alarm when detecting a high reading. On top of being easy for any member of staff to use, these can be set in an adjustable stand or wall mount while you charge them.
8. Nitrile Protective Gloves
If masks are the signature PPE item of this pandemic, then gloves are a secondary one. Few businesses have as much shared contact as a restaurant, from kitchen equipment to food trays to tables to doorknobs to bathrooms. This means that having gloves is essential. We offer a few options in this area, including Nitrile Protective Rubber Gloves and Disposable Vinyl Gloves,
9. Protective Barriers/Shields
Masks are supposed to help reduce spread, but protection for the eyes is essential as well, as well as keeping people from accidentally stepping into or leaning into spaces for employees. We offer a solution here with the 24″W x 24″H – Workplace Table Top Shield with Antimicrobial Base – 1/4″ Polycarbonate, which can serve as a barrier between customers and employees. We have these in a variety of different sizes and dimensions as well. Consider the 1/8” Distancing Barrier With Acrylic Legs, which can be customized with your own logo using full-color printing.
10. All-in-One PPE Kits
While all this PPE is great for your restaurant, there may be settings where your employees are working for you, but don’t have access to your PPE stockpile. People who are delivering food orders or going to stores to pick up supplies are good examples of this. They need to keep themselves protected while they’re on the go, and you can do your part with this by buying PPE kits like the Return To Work Kit PPE Kit – Blue. Among our most comprehensive PPE kits, this has the following items.
- A bottle of hand sanitizer
- A single-use surgical mask
- A set of nitrile gloves
- One pack Purell wipes
- 1 fact booklet on hygiene
- 1 pack of tissues
For a little bit of added brand representation, you can also customize the bag using screen printing, then give these out to employees who are on the clock, but not on the premises. This keeps them safe and minimizes the chance of the virus being brought into your establishment.
Restaurants were one of the hardest-hit business sectors due to COVID-19, and due to perception and health concerns, they also are going to have one of the rockiest roads back. One of the best ways to keep people safe and build up consumer confidence is going above and beyond when it comes to customized PPE for your business. At iPromo, our goal is to be able to supply every piece of PPE required. Not only will this help keep everyone safe, but allow for some great branding opportunities to help bring your business back to its previous levels of success.