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Restaurants in Pune prepare to resume business with SOPs in place
Restrictions include screening customers at entry points, frequently cleaning restaurant premises, washing utensils, operating only half the number of tables and accepting online payments, among other measures
More than five months after the lockdown was imposed, restaurants in Pune plan to resume operations on Monday with self-imposed restrictions in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The restrictions include screening customers at entry points, frequently cleaning restaurant premises, washing utensils, operating only half the number of tables and accepting online payments, among other measures.
The PMC also issued generic guidelines about offering a sanitiser and not allowing more than 50 per cent patrons at a time.
Pune Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar issued the guidelines for hotels, food courts, restaurants and bars to operate from October 5 with a capacity of 50 per cent. The commissioner issued the guidelines under ‘Mission Begin Again’ and extended the lockdown in containment zones till October 30, but allowed hotels and restaurants to open from Monday (October 5).
The commissioner said, “The central and state government has been allowed to run these businesses. As per the state government’s guidelines, PMC issued the circular and allowed it to operate with 50 per cent capacity.”
Pune restaurants and hotels association president Ganesh Shetty, said, “We got the standard operative practice from the government. These are mainly related to kitchen operations, service, dining area and staff.”
Shetty said, “Along with government guidelines, we are also going to follow our own precautionary measures. We have decided to check the temperature of the staff, give masks to them and clean the utensils properly. Customers’ safety is our priority. As the government has announced 50 per cent occupancy, naturally there would be a reduction in tables by half. Either hotel owners will take the additional tables away or ask the customers to seat on alternate tables.”
Arvind Shinde, owner of a hotel near Pune station, said, “We are mainly facing the problem of manpower as most of the staff is out of station and they have not come back yet. It would also be difficult to serve our regular non-vegetrarian dishes now, looking at the rumours surrounding them. Our demand is that like Mumbai, the state government should waive off our licence fee during the lockdown.”
Malaka Spice owner Praful Chandawarkar, said, “We have reduced the tables and maintained distance while drawing out the seating arrangement. We are going to accept orders only through online modes and even payments would be online. There is minimal contact between the staff and the customer. Our customers will be giving orders through the app. We have given safety equipment to the staff including a face shield, gloves and mask.”
Besides restaurants and pubs, lounges in the city have also decided not to play loud music and patrons won’t be allowed to use the dancing floor.
Some of the guidelines being followed by restaurants
All customers should be screened at the entry point , customers need to use a mask while entering the premises, hand sanitiser must be available for customers, customer is encouraged to do payment via digital mode, restrooms and handwash areas should be cleaned regularly, if possible, keep windows open and adjust the air conditioning, disposable menus or QR code recommended, only cooked food to be included in menus; avoid cold items like salads, modification of restaurants and bars by keeping one-metre distance between tables, buffet service is not permitted, avoid cloth napkins and use disposable paper napkins, ensure good quality masks for staff and regular health check-up, staff training for Covid-19 precautions necessary, protective gear for use by staff, all the bottles of spirits, wines, beers to be sanitised with food-grade disinfectant and kitchens must be sanitised at regular intervals
