If you are hoping to reopen your restaurant soon, it might be wise to speak to an interior projects specialist about a new and updated hospitality fitout.
That’s because COVID is highly transmissible, particularly in enclosed spaces, and is likely to be a legitimate concern to both your staff and customers.
At Liteco, we know exactly what needs to be done to help make your restaurant as safe as possible in a post COVID world. So given that we need to live with the virus for the foreseeable future, here are a few of the strategies you should consider for your updated hospitality fitout.
1. CHECK RESTRICTIONS
Check your state or territory’s COVID restrictions for the maximum number of customers allowed in your restaurant at one time.
2. RETHINK THE FLOOR PLAN
Redesign the floor so that it can accommodate social distancing between tables and allow customers to safely walk through the restaurant to the bar, toilets, and so on.
3. GET CREATIVE WITH HANDLING
Reduce transmission rates by using disposable paper menus, chalk boards or digital menus (the latter can be accessed using a QR code on each table).
4. ENCOURAGE PRE-ORDERS
Encourage people to pre-order before arriving at the restaurant to reduce the amount of time they are in an enclosed space.
5. CREATE OUTDOOR SPACES
Maximise any outdoor spaces to accommodate al fresco dining and install outdoor heaters if necessary.
6. REWORK FURNISHINGS
Replace furnishings and surfaces that are time consuming to clean with low-maintenance options that can be quickly sanitised and disinfected.
During your hospitality fitout, however, you need to ensure that the decor and ambiance of your restaurant are not jeopardised. That’s because reducing the number of tables and seats, combined with installing furnishings and surfaces that can be easily sanitised may give your restaurant a slightly clinical appearance. It takes a highly skilled team of interior projects specialists to balance these different aspects and create a design that still represents your brand, appeals to your customers and keeps everyone safe.
