As restaurants attempt, against daunting odds, to reopen for dining as also delivery, they have had to navigate an unknown realm – preparing their spaces to be safe and hygienic for customers and staff to an extent that has never been done before.
Local authorities have prescribed guidelines for restaurants. There are variations, but these rules are common across the country:
– Seating capacity has been restricted; around 50% of existing seating seems to be the common norm. This means that a 60-cover restaurant can only accommodate 30 guests at any time.
– Social distancing is to be maintained. It may not be possible or practical for all restaurants to implement this and to ensure people are seated at distances of 2 meters or more. Restaurants should, however, work towards maintaining distance and avoiding overcrowding of any space.
– Temperature checks for customers and staff are now a common practice even in apartment buildings. Restaurants must invest in an infrared thermometer, which costs between Rs 3000 and 6000.
– Hand sanitizing is a must for customers. It is useful to have a sanitizer stand that costs between Rs 1000 and 2000 and have a member of the staff handle this. – Staff must wear masks and gloves.
Given the safety norms that have been made mandatory for restaurants, a set of detailed guidelines and protocols, drawn up on the basis of solid research and government instructions, is a valuable resource.
That is one of the first offerings from Releski, a unique tech platform. Restobiz spoke with Pravesh Pandey, Founder & CEO, about the e-handbook of SOPs for Covid-proof restaurants and Releski’s innovations for the food & beverage and hospitality sector.
What does Releski stand for and what prompted the development of a tech tool like this?
Releski is for Recruitment, Learning and Skill Development. Having spent nearly two decades in the food & beverage industry, I’ve felt that this is an area that many restaurants struggle with. Given high attrition rates – in the pre-lockdown era – recruitment has always been challenging. Then comes the need for training and empowering your staff by up-skilling. So, these are the gaps we hoped to fill with Releski, envisioned as a skill-tech enterprise.
The Covid 19 Playbook by Hong Kong’s Black Sheep Restaurants has been widely talked about. Now, we have one for restaurants in India. What has gone into drawing up this e-handbook?
In the midst of the crisis, as the restaurant industry tries to stay afloat and open for business, it has become necessary to have a set of SOPs that cover every aspect of Covid-proofing restaurants. So, in collaboration with the National Restaurant Association of India, we’ve come up with this handbook, based on the guidelines issued by the WHO, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and FSSAI. We have incorporated protocols, advisories and best practices recommended by all these bodies in this easy-to-use handbook.
How comprehensive is the e-handbook?
We have put in long hours of research and attempted to cover everything from social distancing, reducing touch points, receiving and handling of goods and health of restaurant staff. There are guidelines on how to organize your valet service, hostess interactions, service drills, kitchen routines, housekeeping – every single part of food production and service. There’s emphasis on hygiene measures that staff must take at every point — from laying out sanitized cutlery to presenting the bill to even garbage removal.
How can restaurants best use these guidelines?
The e-handbook is available for free download right now. We’ve recommended that every restaurant have a member of senior management take charge of implementing these guidelines for the various departments. There are also posters they can download and print to serve as reminders for staff. Short training videos for staff are available as part of a package as well.
While the Covid handbook has been necessitated by the present crisis, Releski has a much wider scope.
Yes, as I said, it’s envisaged as a unique platform that empowers both organisations and people through learning and skill development. The learning platform, Releski School, will have industry experts imparting knowledge on a wide array of subjects. These will be in the form of short videos. Right now, we are available in four languages and will add more as we go along. It is an affordable learning method and both individual industry professionals and brands can benefit.
Recruitment is another area Releski focuses on. We hope to be an effective resource for restaurants and job seekers.
Besides that, it can also be used for intra communications by brands.
