Now that the COVID-19 mandated closures, curfews, and operation restrictions are starting to be lifted, many restaurant owners are looking for ways to safely reopen in the post-pandemic era. Here is a list of resources from industry experts, various government agencies as well as businesses that have already begun dabbling in reopening.

 

Bentobox's Restaurant Reopening Guide
(Website)
With the goal of centralizing information, Bentobox has gathered best practices, providing tactics to move forward through the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

CDC’s Tool for Restaurants and Bars
(PDF)
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has released guidelines for reopening restaurant dining rooms and bars.

 

CORE Architecture + Design’s Restaurants Envisioning Safe Reopening Webinar
(Slides)
The CORE Architecture + Design firm is sharing slides from its webinar, discussing customer expectations and strategies for reconfiguring restaurants to meet health and hygiene and social distancing rules.

 

Empowered Hospitality COVID-19 Resources
(Website)
Empowered Hospitality has aggregated information to help businesses navigiate closures and reopenings, as well as insights on how to understand the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, how to support laid off employees and more. 

 

EPA’s List of Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2
(Chart)
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a list of disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses in the Corona family.

 

FDA’s Best Practices for Retail Food Stores, Restaurants, and Food Pick-Up/Delivery Services
(PDF)
The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) has created a guide addressing key considerations for how foods offered at retail can be safely handled and delivered to the public, as well as best practices for employee health, cleaning and sanitizing, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

 

Fox Rothschild LLP’s COVID-19 Reopening Tips for New York City Restaurants
(PDF)
This full-service law firm built to serve public and private companies – from family-run businesses to multinational corporations has put together reopening tips.  

 

NRA’s COVID-19 Reopening Guidance: A Guide for the Restaurant Industry (PDF)
The NRA (National Restaurant Association) along with ServSafe has developed an extensive guide for restaurant owners on messaging, best practices for staff and vendor health and hygiene, and social distancing.

 

National Restaurant Consultants’ Reopening Guide
(PDF)
The National Restaurant Consultants is offering a free reopening guide, designed to assist in organizing and reopening dining rooms and businesses.

 

OSHA’s COVID-19 Guidance for Restaurants & Beverage Vendors Offering Takeout or Curbside Pickup
(PDF)
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has put together guidelines for restaurants and beverage vendors who are open for takeout or curbside pickup.

 

Oyster Sunday’s Reopening Critical Path for Independent Restaurants
(Google Sheet)
Oyster Sunday, a hospitality services group based in New Orleans and New York City, has created a detailed spreadsheet to help identify the key areas for food and beverage business to focus on, with extensively detailed tabs for Accounting, Operations, Safety, Human Resources, Marketing & Communications, Technology, Compliance & Insurance and Facilities.

 

Reopen Hospitality’s Tool Kit
(Website)
Reopen Hospitality, a group of industry experts passionate about supporting hospitality businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, has published a dedicated site supporting each step of the reopening process.

 

Safety-First: Serving Food and Protecting People During COVID-19
(PDF)
Developed by the Aspen Institute’s Food and Society Program, World Central Kitchen, Off Their Plate, and the James Beard Foundation, these guidelines address common questions about the virus and offer practical steps that chefs, managers and supervisors can begin taking as they prepare to re-open their kitchens.

 

Toast's Guide to the Restaurant Guest
(PDF)
Toast surveyed 700+ restaurant guests to help restaurant owners and operators understand how to adapt. The guide provides a step-by-step walk through of the entire guest journey as well as best practices and actionable insights.

 

World Central Kitchen’s COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines
(PDF)
In addition to contributing to Safety-first, José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen have also published their own guide which covers traveling to and from work, social distancing, cleaning/sanitizing, and what to do if you’re feeling sick.

 

INTERNATIONAL 
Black Sheep’s COVID-19 Playbook
(PDF)
The Hong Kong hospitality group founded in 2012, has written a COVID-19 Playbook that highlights health and hygiene practices, tips for interacting with guests, some best practices for menus and delivery/take-out, and both internal and external communication strategies.

 

STATE-BY-STATE GUIDANCE
For more information about how each state is handling the reopening, check out your state's industry association website:

Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance 
Alaska CHARR 
Arizona Restaurant Association 
Arkansas Hospitality Association
California Restaurant Association 
Colorado Restaurant Association
Connecticut Restaurant Association
Delaware Restaurant Association 
Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association
Georgia Restaurant Association 
Hawaii Restaurant Association
Idaho Lodging & Restaurant Association
Illinois Restaurant Association
Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association
Iowa Restaurant Association
Kansas Restaurant & Hospitality Association
Kentucky Restaurant Association 
Louisiana Restaurant Association 
Maine Restaurant Association 
Massachusetts Restaurant Association
Michigan Restaurant Association 
Minnesota Restaurant Association 
Mississippi Hospitality & Restaurant Association 
Missouri Restaurant Association 
Montana Restaurant Association 
Nebraska Restaurant Association 
Nevada Restaurant Association 
New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association 
New Jersey Restaurant Association 
New Mexico Restaurant Association 
New York State Restaurant Association 
North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association
North Dakota Hospitality Association 
Ohio Restaurant Association
Oklahoma Restaurant Association 
Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association 
Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association 
Puerto Rico Restaurant Association 
Restaurant Association Metro Washington 
Restaurant Association of Maryland, Inc. 
RI Hospitality Association 
South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association 
South Dakota Retailers Association 
Tennessee Hospitality Association 
Texas Restaurant Association 
Utah Restaurant Association 
Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Division 
Virginia Restaurant Lodging & Travel Association
Washington Hospitality Association 
West Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association
Wisconsin Restaurant Association 
Wyoming Lodging & Restaurant Association 

 

If you have more information to share with the hospitality community, please email us ([email protected]) as we are continuing to add and update resources as the impact of the pandemic continues to evolve.