China News Service, October 20. According to the US "World Journal" report, with the advancement of the resumption of work and production, the dine-in business of American restaurants has gradually resumed. Although there are still strict restrictions on passenger capacity, at least it is provided to the public. Opportunity to sit in a restaurant, enjoy food and service.
The business owners all lament that “the day is finally here” and actively prepares to create a safe and hygienic dining environment. After the “entry ceremony” where customers take their body temperature and wear masks, they will maintain social distance at the table or use partitions. In the shaded "beauty of distance", a special period and an unprecedented dining experience are ushered in.
The bubble house of "Fuji Tavern" is warm and safe.
(Photo by "World Journal"/Liu Daqi)
Questionnaire: can track confirmed customers
The Chinese-inhabited "Golden Palace" restaurant in Flushing, New York City has long prepared questionnaires to be filled out for customers. The temperature gauge is erected in front of the door, hand soap and disinfectant are placed, and different entrances, exits, and ordering are divided. Areas and meal-taking areas, and posted eye-catching arrows and text reminders to reduce the risk of cross-infection.
The dining tables are all opened to maintain social distance. The hall that could accommodate 600 people is now reduced to 150 people. In order to control the flow of people, the large dining table with ten chairs has been reduced to eight or less.
Tablecloths and tableware are disposable, and they should be replaced immediately after each batch of guests are used, and cleaned and disinfected in time.
Each table is equipped with hand soap for dry cleaning, which is convenient for guests to use at any time.
Waiters must wear masks and gloves when serving dishes, and staff at the back kitchen must also wear masks and gloves when handling dishes to ensure food safety and hygiene from the source.
Chen Shanzhuang, a Chinese entrepreneur, said that as early as the start of outdoor dining, he always strictly required dine-in standards. For example, customers at each table must have a representative who fills in questionnaires and answers questions such as whether there are any symptoms of new coronary pneumonia, and leaves them. Contact information, in case of a confirmed case, it can be effectively tracked.
After the dine-in is opened, in order to facilitate the control of the flow of people and avoid cross-infection, in addition to the division of the take-out order and meal collection areas, the entrance and exit of the dine-in are also particularly separated.
The questionnaire to be filled out by the customer.
(Photo by "World Journal"/Liu Daqi)
Partition: beautiful and safe screen
Because the new coronavirus is mainly spread by droplets, maintaining social distance between tables is a top priority.
"Jiangnan" is a restaurant that focuses on fusion dishes and gathers classic representatives of major Chinese cuisines. It is doing a good job in taking the temperature of employees and guests, registering contact information, providing disposable tableware, placing dry cleaning hand soap on each table, and disinfecting the table frequently. In addition to basic epidemic prevention measures such as keeping the kitchen clean and hygienic, a Chinese-style and antique partition is especially installed between the dining tables.
"Although the government has not mandated partitions, and our tables have been separated by a considerable distance, we still want to space them apart to create more security for customers."
Manager Liu Leo introduced that the day when the dine-in is finally approved, it is a long-awaited for both the business and the public.
Although only four tables can be placed indoors, since the opening of dine-in, customers who want to dine indoors have continued, and the acceptance and outdoor dining have both accounted for half.
But he also understands that the epidemic has not yet passed. From sheltering at home, only being able to take out, to open outdoor dining, and now allowing dine-in, each step has a psychological adjustment stage. As a service provider, he has the responsibility and obligation to help. The guests establish the confidence of going into the restaurant to eat, so they do not hesitate to customize and import partitions that are in harmony with the restaurant's style from South Korea to create a safe and comfortable dining environment.
Chinese-style partitions are placed in the restaurant to give diners more peace of mind.
(Photo by "World Journal"/Liu Daqi)
Tableware: One-time to ensure hygiene
The "Cattle Hot Pot", which was originally famous for its special health-preserving pot, when the epidemic broke out, because of the first confirmed case of a Chinese in the East, a Chinese physician assistant from a clinic had visited the clinic above the store for consultation, which cast a huge burden on the operation of the restaurant shadow.
It was closed for more than two months and then reopened. The business must be maintained through takeaway. The person in charge, Angela Lin, decided to transform directly, bid farewell to hot pot, started a private kitchen, and applied for outdoor dining.
However, outdoor dining is located on the street, which is not only accompanied by car exhaust, but also easily affected by nature and weather. “Once the canopy was directly broken”, there have been many news reports on outdoor dining areas in some places. Rushing on the sidewalk, causing the guests who were eating to be injured.
Lin Pingping, who has high requirements for the dining environment, has been tugging, "I would rather not make this money, but also let the customers rest assured." She stopped outdoor dining.
After learning that dine-in was allowed, I decided to go back indoors to make hot pot again, and only kept private kitchen dishes on the takeaway platform.
I still insist that all beef use the same supplier as the Michelin-starred steakhouse, and still retain the classic hot pot side dish "Barbie Meat Plate", which is made of beef slices and added to the Barbie doll, but the hardware facilities are huge. Change: All tableware and sauce dishes have been replaced by disposables. The colander is replaced by public chopsticks. The dining table is fixed on the floor and cannot be moved, so it sits between tables to maintain social distance. Ventilation has been specially set up and strengthened. …… "Try to create a comfortable and safe dining environment, the guests are more at ease, I am naturally more at ease".
"Pearl East", which has been making high-end Chinese food for more than 20 years, has resumed dine-in food for more than three months, but it still depends on takeaway to support 70% to 80% of its business.
Cathy Huang, an industry operator, said that customers were very hesitant when they first resumed dine-in, and were not at ease when they entered the restaurant to eat. “Before the epidemic, it was busy every Saturday. There were more than 250 guests when the number of guests was at most. 90 people".
Tableware is also replaced with disposable ones.
(Photo by "World Journal"/Liu Daqi)
People flow: appointment system to avoid queuing
Nevertheless, Cathy Huang led the restaurant to strictly prevent the epidemic: take the temperature of the staff every morning, clean and disinfect the restaurant, change the air conditioner to a special filter, and try to open the door to allow air circulation.
The waiter should wear masks and gloves, and the dining table should be at least 6 feet away from the social distance. The tablecloths can only be used once. Although the tableware is not disposable, all of them are sterilized by high temperature. The menu is changed to disposable and not reused.
In addition, every customer entering the store must wear a mask and take his temperature. “You can’t enter without taking your body temperature, and you can’t enter without a mask. You can take it off when you eat, and you must wear a mask when you walk around in the restaurant.” If you forget to wear a mask, the restaurant will also offer it.
The dine-in service adopts an appointment system. “The table is arranged in advance and no one can wait in line at the door”. The interaction time between customers and waiters is minimized. On the one hand, customers can take off their masks when they are served. On the other hand, they also remind the waiters to try their best Stand further away from the dining table.
Cathy Huang, who graduated from normal school, never thought that one day he would run a restaurant. After coming to the United States, because her husband wanted to join the restaurant business, the two opened their own stores and they did it for more than 20 years.
She felt that the epidemic this time was the "biggest hurdle" she had experienced. Originally, she planned to renovate the restaurant after the Lunar New Year. However, when she encountered the epidemic, she could only temporarily suspend business.
Later, the takeaway began to resume, and the business became a little hotter. "Sometimes I was too busy to fry at night." However, due to the limited dine-in food, the manpower was reduced accordingly. The nine waiters who were in charge of dine-in have now been reduced. Three by midweek and four on weekends.
Cathy Huang said that as a whole "everyone still dare not come out to eat", but we must insist on opening the door, otherwise the rent cannot be reduced and "will bear a lot of debt."
Fortunately, regular customers are generally very popular and can still maintain the business, but she is still very worried that there will be a second wave of epidemics. "Although I have confidence in this store, I really never thought it would become what it is today." .
The restaurant divides different areas and entrances and exits to reduce the risk of cross-infection.
(Photo by "World Journal"/Liu Daqi)
Box: Bubble House unexpectedly became popular
Li Fei, the proprietor of "Fuji Tavern", also encountered the epidemic when he was about to decorate and prepare to open. The outside world praised her for her ability to open a new store in such a special period. "But I really didn't intend to. Going upstream, but catching up, there is no way.” In late January, there was an outbreak of an epidemic as soon as the contract was signed, and the procurement and renovation work was all stopped.
As the first Dou Tavern in New York City, Li Fei said that Chinese wines such as rice wine and white wine are used in the store, with flowers, fruits, milk and other flavors added, and the wine is served in the form of "small portions and large amounts". A set of 60 cups, with a minimum of a dozen cups, is very suitable for gatherings between friends. Everyone does not need to share anything. “One person, one cup, one sip of wine will not take it again”, which satisfies customers’ hygiene during the epidemic. And safety requirements.
Work was only allowed to resume in June. “I missed the best time for outdoor dining in summer.” While Li Fei is operating the dine-in business, he also grasps both hands and both hands for outdoor dining. PVC transparent glue is specially designed. The glass house and bubble house built by board and cloth, each glass house and bubble house is equivalent to an independent box, but it is warm and ventilated, and effectively blocks droplets, which has both privacy and safety. .
In the evening, the colorful lights on the glass house and bubble house are even more magnificent after they are lit up. Soon after opening, they quickly become a must-visit place for young people.
Guests can sit indoors or outdoors after taking their body temperature at the door, but they must wear a mask before eating. Each table is equipped with dry cleaning hand soap. Masks are available at the front desk. Masks can be replaced in time if they are lost or contaminated.
The store also launched contactless ordering. Customers can scan the code with their mobile phones and place orders by themselves to avoid contact and cross-infection as much as possible.
Because of the high demand for wine glasses, we have purchased a sufficient quantity and added cleaning staff to ensure that everyone can drink at ease.
Li Fei said that she was very happy to see restaurants finally being able to eat in, but was puzzled by the setting of "capacity can only be 25%", and this ratio is indeed very low for restaurants and will not have a huge impact on business. help.
In addition, the New York City Government currently stipulates that dine-in can only be done at 12 o’clock in the middle of the night, “If the number of people has been strictly limited, what is the difference between 11 or 1 o’clock? I understand that I want everyone to go home early, but for For those of us who are doing business in the second half, 12 o'clock is really a bit early."
Policy: No details raise doubts
Many industry players believe that 25% of the passenger capacity is set too low. Chen Shanzhuang said that at present, we can only hope that the epidemic will not return to temperature and the number of confirmed cases will not increase in the future, and the set passenger capacity standards can be relaxed. "Otherwise the government I want to stop dine-in."
Although there are still customers who are worried about dine-in, "Some guests come to eat and even bring their own chopsticks, cups and bowls. After the waiters bring hot water, the guests also iron all the tableware with hot water." But at least they have stepped forward. One step has pushed the resumption of work and production to a new stage.
For restaurants that do not want to open dine-in for the time being, Chen Shanzhuang suggests that they can make full use of the outdoor dining policy and try to adjust the menu according to the actual situation and customer needs to generate more income.
For example, the dinner of "Golden Imperial Court" has now been reduced to less than 20 dishes. It is prepared and refined, and a lot of clay pot packaging has been added. The dishes are served in clay pots with lids. "Now it is cold, no matter it is It can be kept warm indoors or outdoors, and it can block droplets and dust outdoors."
There are also many guests who have fallen in love with outdoor dining in the past few months, "call to make an appointment and say they hope to reserve a seat outside, and the air outside is good."
Chen Shanzhuang said that the current government has introduced relevant regulations to allow heaters in outdoor dining areas, but there are no specific details yet.
The industry is also worried that the weather is getting colder and colder, and the outdoor dining area will become an outdoor “dining area” after strengthening its "sealing". Will it be subject to the 25% passenger capacity limit.
In addition, whether there will be a cumbersome approval process for heaters, if the government sends people to conduct various strict inspections, businesses may face expensive fines.
However, Chen Shanzhuang said that although everyone has their own worries, they must also understand that the government’s rules and regulations are naturally reasonable and scientifically based. “If you make a restaurant casually today, the government will let you pass the inspection or review, and tomorrow in case something goes wrong. Who is in charge? The business will be the trouble then." (Liu Daqi)