The novel coronavirus has hit restaurants hard.

Even as more states allow restaurants to welcome diners indoors, the diners aren’t coming. An August survey from SevenRooms, a reservation service, found that only 38% of U.S. adults plan to dine out over the next three months. Of that 38%, only 29% feel comfortable with indoor seating.

Holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, and New Years are just a few months away. Holiday parties and foot traffic drives business for restaurants, and in turn, for industrial launderers and hotels.

The tips below can help you educate your restaurant clients on how to build confidence in diners so that their holiday business grows, and yours does too.

5 Ways Restaurants Can Make Guests Feel Comfortable Dining In During the Holidays

1. Communicate with Customers About Your Health & Safety Standards

In the SevenRooms survey, 22% of respondents said that a detailed outline of safety and health protocols would make them more likely to dine in. Restaurants should provide that outline across different mediums:

• Create infographics to share on social media and in emails
• Attach a flyer to take-out orders and the restaurant window
• Develop a script for employees to follow when customers inquire about the protocols
• Upload a video to social media of the manager explaining safety protocols

2. Get Creative with Outdoor Spaces

Give diners a festive place to eat outdoors when there’s good weather. Restaurants with the space might consider putting a tent with window flaps in the parking lot to host larger holiday celebrations.

3. Make Use of Visual Indicators & Barriers

Visual indicators and barriers will help customers feel more comfortable too:

• Tape on the floor every six feet in front of the host table or cash register
• Tablecloths only on the tables in use
• Using food covers
• Physical barriers between tables

4. Design Branded & Festive Face Masks

Washable branded face masks give restaurant staff a uniform look and assure customers that all staff members are using high-quality face coverings.

5. Switch to Professionally Laundered Table Linens & Uniforms

As per Joseph Ricci, the President and CEO of TRSA, “Clean, white linens and apparel increase both the perception and reality of a cleaner, safer environment.”

Use Reusable Table Linens

According to Milliken™, bare tables are a breeding ground for bacteria. Table linens are more sanitary. Plus, reusable table linens and placemats create an inviting atmosphere that’s perfect for holiday get-togethers.

Give Staff a Clean Uniform Before Every Shift

TRSA encourages restaurants to give all staff hygienically cleaned, commercially laundered uniforms at the start of each shift. That way, staff don’t work in the clothes they traveled to work in, and the uniforms get cleaner than is possible with a home washing machine.

Key Items to Stock Up On During COVID-19

Meet the needs of your clients by stocking up on reusable table linens in a variety of seasonal colors and styles, reusable or disposable face masks, and aprons. Don’t forget microfiber towels too. A microfiber cleaning towel performs better than a cotton towel, removing 95% of bacteria from surfaces without a cleaning agent.

Here for You this Holiday Season  

At Venus Group, we manufacture and sell the linens and PPE your restaurant clients need. From durable food-service aprons to red and green tablecloths suited for a holiday party, our Institutional Laundry collection has it all. Call us today at 800.421.6599, or email us at sales@venusgroup.com to request a quote.