{"id":6073,"date":"2020-08-14T13:33:38","date_gmt":"2020-08-14T17:33:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/bhr\/?p=6073"},"modified":"2021-06-23T15:02:33","modified_gmt":"2021-06-23T19:02:33","slug":"sanitizer-centerpieces-concerns-for-restaurant-operations-in-ma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/bhr\/2020\/08\/14\/sanitizer-centerpieces-concerns-for-restaurant-operations-in-ma\/","title":{"rendered":"Sanitizer Centerpieces: Concerns for Restaurant Operations in MA"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Source: Canva<\/p>\n

By Dr. John Palabiyik, Dr. Suzanne Markham Bagnera, and Dr. Brendan Cronin<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/span>The COVID-19 virus arrived as an unidentifiable shock to the restaurant industry. The whole hospitality industry was unexpectedly crippled by an issue that it has never experienced in its prior history. Once operators got over the antecedent trauma, they immediately looked for an opportunity to adjust their operational plan. The response was varied based on their business model. As management expert Leon C. Megginson said, \u201cit is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most adaptable and responsive to change.\u201d The operators knew change was inevitable, they had to pivot their operation to adopt the new standards swiftly. They had to look at the operations from scratch (going back to basics). As an immediate response to remain in business, pivots had to be made, including offering or enhancing take-out service, creating curbside delivery and\/or home delivery options.

Currently, Massachusetts restaurants are open with restrictions, including the number of persons seated inside, CDC recommended cleaning protocols, social distancing guidelines and the requirement to wear a facial mask. Operators have a greater sense of confidence compared to the first couple of months of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, they remain in uncharted waters resulting in a stressful uncertainty for the future. Moreover, conditions and regulations change very fast requiring operators to operate differently every day.

<\/p>\n

Operational Pivots<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Massachusetts restaurant operators discovered that establishing delivery or take-out protocols was an immediate response required, however it will not be a permanent business operation solution as the sole source of revenue moving forward. For that reason, they are taking different paths while constantly seeking a better solution to return to a pre-COVID-19 era.<\/p>\n

1. Reservations<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This might be the utilization of a \u201creservation only\u201d system. This would force guests to make advance reservations and means not accommodating walk-in guests.\u00a0 This can include having a timed seating approach (e.g. service at 5 pm, 7 pm, and 9 pm). Additionally, they can enforce limitations on the length of time for the dining experience (e.g one hour for 2-top and an hour and a half for a 4-top).<\/p>\n

2. Outdoor Space<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For those operators who felt their ventilation system was not adequate, they have decided not to open their indoor dining areas. In some instances, the outdoor dining area might be greater in size compared to their indoor space.\u00a0 Each town or city has had to approve or license the operation to have an outdoor space.\u00a0 One such north shore restaurant obtained the required licenses, invested in the tent equipment, to only be shut down by the town due to lack of parking for other businesses.<\/p>\n

3. Collaboration<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Others have created a collaborative venture opportunity by operating independent businesses together. For example, a Middlesex county brewery and pizza restaurant have created a collaborative whereby the pizzeria, not having enough seats inside or space outside for dining, can provide the food for the brewery, who has the outdoor space but doesn\u2019t have the kitchen equipment ability to cook food. \u00a0An order by Governor Baker\u2019s administration as of August 7th<\/sup> mandates that any establishment serving alcohol must serve food that is prepared on-site (DeCosta-Klipa, 2020).<\/p>\n

4. Closures<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sadly, for the restaurant industry, some owners have decided to close some locations in order to focus on the larger or more well established or flagship sites. One of the more compounded challenges is the expense of rent, whereby some landlords have been flexible, is problematic.\u00a0 Approximately 126 owners have had to unfortunately decide on a permanent business closure (Blumenthal, 2020a, 2020b, 2020c; Gardizy, 2020; Tiernan & Kashinsky, 2020).\u00a0 These closures are listed in Tables 1-3 by county and visualized in the state map in Exhibit 1.<\/p>\n

Table 1. Smallest Massachusetts County Restaurant Closures<\/p>\n

\"Table<\/p>\n

Table 2. Massachusetts County Restaurant Closures<\/p>\n

\"Table<\/p>\n

Table 3. Largest Massachusetts County Restaurant Closures<\/p>\n

\"Table<\/p>\n

These closures are listed in Tables 1-3 by county and visualized in this state map in Exhibit 1.<\/a><\/p>\n

The operators find that due to the restrictions such as social distancing, the restaurants are working at best with 50% capacity now, there is minimal catering, and business activities are gone. The restaurant industry is financially struggling like nothing before because their sales are 80% lower than normal for this time of year, yet their cost has increased by more 50%.\u00a0 The catering business is close to zero, with the exception of a few customized and very restricted events. More importantly, catering owners do not expect to see a full opening in the near future; they think phase four, which may take another year, may be where the change happens. Their best hope is a cure for the virus sooner than later otherwise they may have to fold their enterprise.<\/p>\n

Cost Control<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Controlling costs is becoming more critical for the operation due to increased costs for labor, cleaning chemicals, PPE, and disposable paper supplies. Businesses are typically scheduling additional employees, despite the reduction in business, to ensure the dining room is cleaned with increased frequency. The cleaning becomes much more important for open kitchen concepts. Due to the increased new operating costs, a reduction in inventory is one strategy being implemented; this in turn leads to a very simplified menu. Price adjustments or an extra charge, labeled as \u201csanitation fee\u201d, \u201cPPE fee\u201d, or \u201cno-show charge\u201d is also on the table.<\/p>\n

According to operators and employers, they are not only cleaning the restaurant, they are also trying to ensure the customers see the cleaning process. While it is not required by law, they are taking extra steps to convince their customers that their business is safe and clean. Some strategies include:<\/p>\n