Toes in the Water: Transitioning to Reopen

With more states lifting sanctions on dine-in options, Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine reached out to Yelp's Small Business Expert Emily Washcovick to learn about ways restaurants can successfully make the transition and slowly ramp up operations, while keeping guest and staff safety top of mind.

What are the best steps a restaurateur needs to take to make a reopening successful?To ensure a reopening is successful, a restauranteur first needs to look at everything through the lens of whether it is safe for their staff and customers.  That needs to be the number one priority.

Once that is settled, it’s time for communication plans.  Update all external platforms with one clear, cohesive, and consistent message about your new hours, protocols and what you’re doing to ensure everyone’s health and safety.  

Next, it’s time to think about the operation of your restaurant in a time of social distancing.  This can mean a variety of things - first and foremost…