TRADING DURING LEVEL 2 - The 5 most important things food businesses need to know

Level 2 means, if you aren’t already, you are now allowed to reopen your business! But as expected there are still some very strict rules that need to be followed in order to help protect us from a third wave of infection.

Preparation is key

We all want to be as prepared as we possibly can be to ensure maximum profits can be made. Below I have outlined the 5 most important things a food business needs to think about when considering what trading during level 2 restrictions will look like.

Physical distancing is the key to running our food businesses safely during level 2. It is also the area some businesses will struggle with the most. The general rule of thumb is:

Keep 1 metre apart

Think about the layout of your business, particularly if you plan to resume dining in and table service. You may need to reduce the amount of tables and chairs available in order to ensure there can be 1 metre between everyone. Many businesses are also opting for a reduced menu to allow kitchen staff to keep as much space between them as possible.

Managing physical distancing in your business:

Physical distancing in action in this normally very busy café.

Level 2 does not mean Covid-19 has been eradicated. It is still out there. It is essential we all do our bit and ‘play it safe’.

The most important part of the physical distancing ethos is IF YOU ARE SICK STAY AWAY. Anyone With cold or flu symptoms MUST stay away. This does not just apply to your customers but also to your staff. The below diagram shows how you can ensure your staff illness recognition is improved.

If you are open and serving food during level 2 you need to put a system in place to keep track of anyone who enters or comes into physical contact with your business. This includes takeaway customers.

The purpose of this is to allow the Ministry of Health and the District Health Boards to track down people who may have been exposed to the virus.

You can keep track of your contacts anyway you like. The easiest way to do it is by keeping a physical sign in sheet but a quick Google search will show a wide variety of apps and computer programs available to manage this for you, some are even free!

Which ever system you choose make sure you are collecting the following information AND keeping it confidential.

• Date of contact
• Time of contact
• Full Name
• Phone number
• Address

Click below if you would like to download a simple contact tracing sheet for printing.

In addition to this get your employees to keep a record of places they have visited and people they have been in contact with just in case one of your staff come into contact with Covid-19 in the workplace.

During level two there can be no more than 100 people at a time in a public place. It is the same limit whether it is an indoor or an outdoor setting. This number EXCLUDES any staff that are on-site. Keep this in mind when you are thinking about your restaurants layout.

People are allowed to break their bubbles again but it is safe to assume that many people will feel nervous. It is imperative that we make our customers feel as safe as possible coming out and visiting our establishments.

Think about the following in order to give your customers peace of mind:

• Outdoor spaces – If you are lucky enough to have an outdoor area now is the time to utilise it regardless of the colder weather coming. Clear it out of anything unnecessary to make it as large a space as possible. Add some outdoor heaters to keep it cosy and warm.
• Inside space – Make the space feel as open and as airy as possible so your customers feel more comfortable sharing their space with others. Open any curtains and make sure there is plenty of light and some air flow.
• Communication is key - Communicate how you are keeping people safe and following the guidelines. Have it available on your website if you have one, put a sign on the door, have a sign inside and in any bathrooms, include it on your Facebook page. The more you show you are taking this seriously the more your customers will trust you as a safe place to go.
• The Markets are not as they were – Markets are allowed to resume again. However, they are subject to the same limits on numbers as everyone else meaning there will be less foot traffic than normally. If you usually attend markets to sell your products you will need to plan for a likely downturn on your usual sales.

4. Cleaning and Sanitising

The single best way to protect against the Corona Virus is by reviewing and strengthening your cleaning and sanitising program. The first step is to ensure all your staff are following a two stage process for cleaning.

The two stages are:

1. Cleaning: this removes the grease, dirt and food residue but it does not kill all the germs. Cleaning should be done with detergent and hot water. In order for it to be effective the water should be at least 60° Don’t forget to rinse the detergent off afterwards.
2. Sanitise: Sanitising kills the bacteria and viruses. You need to use a product that specifically states that it sanitises.

Wiping down a surface is not enough.

When reviewing this with your staff remind everyone to:

• Use different cloths. One for the cleaning and a separate one for sanitising.
• Check the manufacturers instructions for the sanitiser – do you have the correct ratio of chemical to water? If not it may not work properly.
• Change the cloths more regularly than usual.
• Clean and sanitise more frequently. Do you usually wait til the end of the day? We suggest doing it several times a day on and around areas touched frequently.
• Use the right cloth for the job. A different cloth for the different jobs and areas.

It is easy to remember to clean and sanitise the most obvious areas such as tables and benches but this is a good opportunity to remind everyone of those less obvious places that are often touched by many hands.

Those ‘too often forgotten’ places:

• Door handles
• Fridge/freezer/chiller door handles
• Coffee machine handles
• The backs of chairs (especially the bit people hold to pull the chair in and out)
• Hand dryers in bathrooms
• The cash register/eftpos machine
• Tablets and computers used for record keeping

Don’t forget to dry the surface!

Water is the friend of bacteria and viruses. Leaving pools of water, even very small ones, will increase the spread so keep everything dry. Double check the hard to reach places such as under the coffee maker or in the seals of the fridge of any left over droplets.

The lockdown has forced us all to look at our business models and assess what will work and what won’t work during a state of emergency.

Many restaurants, during the last lockdown, chose to add services such as delivery as well as changing their offering to include meal making kits, heat and eat meal options or the production and packaging of sauces and condiments that were previously part of a served meal.

Early on during Covid there was some flexibility being allowed on existing registrations. However this has ended now. Any changes businesses are continuing with are expected to have the correct registrations and Food Control Plan.

Have you added something? Here is a quick guide to what type of registration you will need and who it should be registered with. If you are still unsure click here to use our simple tool to find out what you need.

If there is anything you would like to discuss about getting your business ready for the next phase of our Covid-19 fight, or if you are looking to start a new business please feel free to contact me directly at anna@foodcontrolplans.co.nz or click below to book a quick chat with me either by phone or via zoom.