Covid-19 has had a major impact on most food businesses. Some are thriving, some are merely surviving, some are in lockdown and others are making significant changes to the way in which they reach customers in order to continue trading.
Food businesses must continue to adhere to their obligatory duties, such as an employer’s duty to protect their employees’ health and safety and the health and safety of customers, including in relation to food safety and hygiene regulations, according to a press release.
Must for restaurant staffs
Burger King, the world-famous fast food franchisee brand, is operating in Bangladesh since its inception in the country by adhering to international health and safety standards set by World Health Organization (WHO).
It is compulsory for all employees of Burger King to wear disposable gloves if they are handling consumer goods, food packages, cash or credit cards.
“After putting on the gloves, we tell our employees to avoid touching face or hair. This is very important because this is one way in which Covid-19 spreads easily between people and onto objects”- Burger King Bangladesh’s General Manager Mushroof Ahmed stated this to share their part of safety measures during a conversation with Dhaka Tribune.
“At work, our staffs are instructed to wash with soap and water in regular interval to kill any virus that might have come from surfaces or objects. In stores, hand sanitizers at different touch-points are placed to reinforce our measures with safety and hygiene standard. Hairnets are must for all employees working in food preparation. Our staffs are obliged to wear masks while at work in store, and when they deal directly with customers coming for dine-in or takeaway or during home deliveries," he added.
Social distancing on the menu
“We reopened our restaurants where social distancing is our main focus,” Mushroof informed.
Burger King has already put in markers on the floors, chairs and tables across its restaurants for customers to maintain social distancing.
On the side note, paying high rent for premises as the business continues to be slow could also be tricky for food hubs.
Major restaurants are still hopeful that things will get back to normal in about two months, as it has been the global trend.
However, strong communication on hygiene and safety measures taken by restaurants, experts believe, will be imperative in bringing customers back.
Stabilizing the supply chain
To minimize the risk of disruption in the supply chain, many renowned QSRs are taking a range of actions, such as reformulating menus to match what they can predictably source, substituting frozen products for fresh products when necessary, revising purchase orders to align with demand, identifying alternate suppliers, and collaborating with manufacturers to create contingency plans.
To support small and midsize suppliers that might be struggling during the crisis, some cash-rich QSRs are adjusting payment terms to support them to meet financial needs.
A handful of QSRs are also taking advantage of low commodity prices (of oil and chicken, for instance) by purchasing ahead where possible or by pre-booking freight capacity.
Food delivery
Food businesses, especially those which are offering these services for the first time, need to be aware of all the relevant food and safety regulations and guidance.
Food should be placed in clean, disposable containers, which are suitable for food use.
To adhere to the rules of social distancing, delivery man should maintain physical distance, or they can drop off the food on the customer’s doorstep, and step back while the customer retrieves the food.
Following the outbreak of Covid-19, the foodservice industry has rapidly refocused its efforts to bolster home delivery orders.
As the customer relationship moves online and at their doorstep, safety measures must be put into place for both delivery teams and consumers.
In this context, Burger King makes sure that itsdelivery bags are cleaned and disinfected at the beginning of each day and throughout the day.
They also ensure their delivery staffs are insured for business use, equipped with all road safety gears, and body temperature is checked before they hit the road.
For food collection services, Burger King maintains and observes a strict rule of social distancing by taking in order at the front of store and then delivering it at the same point of contact.
Customers can also enjoy the service of ‘Call and Collect’ by making the order on phone and then picking it up as takeaway.
Safety, security concerns of delivery men
It is never been easier to get a takeaway - dozens of apps now let us order hot meals to our front door within minutes.
It is not customers that drivers are worried about, but criminal gangs targeting them for their transport - typically motorbikes or bicycles.
Operators & delivery services are trying to reduce the potential of such road fatalities by deploying some simple yet effective tips like- activating caller id, keeping detailed records of order requestor, carrying limited cash, allowing casual dress on job, avoiding late nights & roads that are prone to crimes.
Burger King here provides training to its delivery men that teaches protective measures.
Hygiene
Hand washing has always been a strict standard to meet to achieve food safety compliance at places like Burger King, and now is the time to remind workers of the importance of regular hand washing and the essential contribution it makes in maintaining the health and safety of food, staff and customers.
All the running outlets of Burger King, in that matter, are equipped with basins with clean water, anti-bacterial soaps and paper towels.
Delivery staffs, by handling food, are receiving briefing on personal hygiene, health and safety, food handling, and reporting illness and these sessions are being performed every day.
Food safety
Food businesses need to consider if an improvement to their food safety management systems and procedures is required.
This will be necessary if any food handling processes have changed.
Employees also need to be reminded that raw and cooked foods need to be packed correctly to avoid cross-contamination.
For delivery, Burger King keeps their delivery bags with appropriate insulation at required temperature.
To maintain the heat within the food, Burger King keeps the delivery distance short; a maximum of a 30-minute radius for deliveries are served.
Sanitizing the restaurant
Since the beginning of outbreak of Covid-19, sincere and responsible operators of restaurant businesses have followed strict health guidelines.
In fact, restaurants- especially those in the league of global franchisees like Burger King- are the most sanitary of public places, because of the rigorous food safety procedures already in place.
However, with the existence of Covid-19, it is important to operate with the understanding that restaurants need to be the most sanitary it’s ever been- and to make that very clear to customers coming in for dine-in or takeaways or ordering for home deliveries-to protect customers and workers from getting sick.
“Now is the time to ramp up sanitizing, increase hand-washing protocol, wipe down equipment and appliances, and make sure the staffs aren’t coming to work sick. Make sure staffs and customers know that nothing matters more than their health and safety,” Mushroof Ahmed shared his views while presenting the priorities Burger King has set in this critical period.