6 Safety tips for outdoor dining
While we are all too eager to experience the outdoors again, there are some inhibitions concerning safety. Is it prudent to eat outdoors yet? How can I ensure my safety while outdoors? To answer these questions, we have curated a checklist of six things you must bear in mind for a safe outdoor dining experience:-
Go digital
Employing digital methods when outdoors helps add an enhanced layer of protection as it minimises physical contact. Three digital tips for outdoor dining include:-
QR codes for ordering: Use the barcode at the table to access the menu card instead of asking the waiter for a physical one. Most restaurants have already familiarised the patrons with this concept by placing QR codes for menu cards at tables and the storefront windows.
Social distancing apps: Employ social distancing apps such as ‘Social Distance Training’ to ensure safe proximity from strangers and other restaurant attendees.
Contactless payments: Contactless payment options are numerous and using them is hassle-free. To ensure the safety of both parties, avoid payment by card or cash.
Sanitize frequently
It has become an overheard advice but washing your hands and sanitizing them, especially before eating is imperative. For a steady resumption to normalcy, it is important to frequently clean or sanitize your hands because you use them unconsciously. Whether it is the door-handle of the restaurant, or the menu card, or the chair and the table, our hands have a mind of their own, so being cautious by cleaning them often can minimise the risk.
Avoid touching your face
We miss the days when this was merely beauty advice. However, now the news and medical articles have warned us that the coronavirus spreads when the droplets enter your eyes, nose, or mouth. The likelihood of this circumstance increases when the virus transfers from external objects such as the table to your hands and subsequently your face. So, especially when you are dining outdoors, refrain from touching your face. It is believed that, out of habit, humans touch their faces sixteen times an hour. To break from this habit, you can wear gloves, or use a scented hand-sanitizer.
Keep your mask on
Masks have forced themselves into our outdoor essentials. However, following the mask etiquette promises the safety of both yourself as well as people you come in contact with. Don’t let your mask carelessly slip off of your nose. Ensure that it is worn properly especially when you are in public and around people. When at a restaurant, wear your mask until the food arrives and make sure it is properly worn especially while placing your order so that the restaurant staff is also safe.
Ensure the restaurant is sensitive to COVID-19 protocols
Adhering to the rapidly spreading nature of the pandemic, it is important to ascertain whether the restaurant you are choosing to visit is following the safety and hygiene protocols. The government-recommended protocols require restaurants to:
Frequently sanitize their kitchen
Clean and sanitize the table after every customer leaves
Ensure that the protocols for social distancing are being followed
Have the staff wear masks and wash their hands often, etc.
Make a reservation
To avoid overcrowding at the restaurant, make prior reservation. Not only will this help the restaurant manage the crowd better, but will also help the visitors ensure their safety. When the restaurant will have a table available for you, you can entirely avoid the waiting area. Reservations are easier when you have a plan that has been in the waiting for a while. If it happens to be a last-minute plan, it is still wise to check with the restaurant before-hand to find out whether a table is available.