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Home / Restaurant Reopening Checklist from FoodHandler

Restaurant Reopening Checklist from FoodHandler

Reopening your restaurant after COVID-19?

Reopen your restaurant with confidence and safety with resources, checklists and signage from FoodHandler®. Risk Nothing®.

For additional information regarding reopening guidance, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/reopen-guidance.html

RESOURCES

Download guidance for reopening your restaurant.

  • Guidance from the National Restaurant Association
  • FoodHandler’s ReOpening Checklist
  • CDC
  • How To Don Gloves Properly
  • How To Wear Gloves Properly
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Ask The Food Safety Team

The below forum is design for Q&A.  Your questions will be answered by our food safety team – Dr. Catherine Strohbehn and Dr. Kevin Roberts.

16 comments

    • Food Safety Experts

      Hi Mark,
      Cloth face coverings do not have to be changed during the shift unless they become soiled. Employees can think of them as an extension of their uniform. John Hopkins University recommends that face masks should be washed after each use (or after each shift in the case of a foodservice employee) to control the spread of COVID-19 most effectively. According to the CDC, a machine washing should suffice in washing a face mask, so if you are already providing laundry service for uniforms, face masks could be added to this. If washing by hand, a 5-minute bleach solution soak is recommended. Disposable facemasks should not be reused nor washed.

    • Food Safety Experts

      Many restaurants are operating on a reservation basis and requesting guests call when they arrive at the restaurant, with a staff member greeting them at the door, and inviting them to use hand sanitizer. This avoids congregation in the entry area. Other operations have used colored tape on the floor indicating one-way traffic flow patterns, others have designated separate doorways for entry and exit only, moving tables, installing barriers between seating, such as shower curtains or plastic, or roping off restricted areas. Monitoring traffic in and out of restrooms may require assigning a staff member to avoid over-crowding in the restroom.

    • Food Safety Experts

      If you are wearing a reusable face mask, John Hopkins University recommends that face masks should be washed after each use to most effectively control the spread of COVID-19. Disposable face masks should not be reused nor washed.

  • Anonymous

    Are restaurant staff required to take a guest’s temperature prior to admitting the guest into the establishment? What are approved methods for communicating to guests that access is restricted to those with COVID-19 symptoms?

    • Food Safety Experts

      Check with local health authority regarding requirements for communication with guests. While some retail outlets are checking temperatures of customers with a non-touch thermometer, others may choose to communicate with signage. Posting signs at the entrance to the operation prohibiting those with symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, or lessened sense of smell or taste) from entering. Signage should be easily seen and printed in large font. If in an area with multiple ethnicities, consider translating to alternate languages.

      If you do decide to check the temperature of guests at the entrance, be sure it is done in a confidential and non-discriminatory manner.

    • Food Safety Experts

      In March, the EEOC issued guidance that noted the taking employee temperatures is acceptable in times of a pandemic, if done appropriately and fairly. However, employers should recognize that not all individuals who develop COVID-19 have a fever, and some who have a fever, may not have COVID-19. If implemented, ensure employee confidentiality and above all, apply the standards uniformly to every employee to avoid charges of discrimination or bias.

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