COVID-19 OPERATING GUIDANCE

COVID-19OPERATINGGUIDANCEA GUIDE FOR THERESTAURANT INDUSTRYUPDATED December, 2020For other resources:RESTAURANT.ORG/COVID19

TO RESTAURANTOPERATORSOPEN AND READYTO OPERATEUNDER LOCALREQUIREMENTS The purpose of thisupdated guidance is tocontinue to offer youdirection and providea framework for bestpractices as you asyou operate under newCOVID-19 operating rules.COVID-19 is a new, novel virus meaningthere is more health officials are learning.Good guidance will update over time toincorporate new information as it comes in.As a restaurateur, stay flexible; COVID-19 istransmitted person to person, not through food,so make use of your Food Safety Managementsystems to build and maintain the infectioncontrols that help protect against transmission.To help you manage your food safety plan,download the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’sFood Safety Checklist.Implement and maintain requirements to washhands after touching one’s face covering, or aftercoughing or sneezing on a tissue.The same applies to additional practices, suchas wearing a cloth face covering that covers bothnose and mouth, changing layouts to ensureemployees and customers remain at least 6 feetapart, or limiting seating capacity to allow forproper social distancing. These measures shouldbe observed and managed as diligently as anyfood safety practice.Our latest document builds on our originalguidance and reflects the most recent data fromthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,FDA, and the Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration specifically related to interactingwith diners.The National Restaurant Association wishes toprovide both restaurant operators and dinersinformation about what to expect as the industryreturns to on-premises dining.These recommendations are intendedto complement existing state and localregulations concerning cleaning and sanitation,personal hygiene, social distancing, andhealth monitoring and are meant to be usedin conjunction with the FDA Food Coderequirements, and all guidance the CDC, FDA,and state and local health officials are requiringas the states begin to reopen their economies.l 2 l COVID-19 OPERATING GUIDANCEWe recognize that not everyone has access toguidance, and that is where the Association canprovide help.In addition to the recommendations above, eachrestaurant should, at a minimum:Make sure your person-in-charge has an upto-date ServSafe Food Manager certification.The FDA requires every facility to have aperson in charge on site during open hoursand also directs that the person in chargeshould have a food manager certification.Provide ServSafe Food Handler training foryour workers as well as COVID-19 trainingvideos for Reopening Guidance, Delivery andTakeout. They’re your front line; educating themprotects them, you and your guests.Make technology your friend. Contactlesspayment systems, automated orderingsystems, mobile ordering apps, websiteupdates and simple texts can help youto communicate and conduct businesswith reduced need for close contact. Keepcommunicating with customers (yourhours, menu items, reservations, etc.), andhelp promote your social distancing andsafety efforts.And some of the best advice comes fromthe government agencies including theFDA’s Best Practices for Re-Opening RetailFood Establishments During the COVID-19Pandemic (Food Safety Checklist), FDA/OSHA Employee Health and Food SafetyChecklist, and OSHA’s Guidance onPreparing Workplaces for COVID-19. All aredesigned to provide information and tools tohelp you operate.As we continue to learn more about operatingbusinesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’simportant to share with you the most currentdirection and advice from the experts at FDA,CDC, EPA, OSHA and other agencies. Thesedocuments will continue to reflect those bestpractices and will continue to be updated.

MAKE THE SERVSAFEDINING COMMITMENTThrough the ServSafe DiningCommitment, operators pledgeto follow four best practices that are effectivemeans for reducing the transmission of COVID-19.1. Adherence to this updated COVID-19 OperatingGuidance and/or corporate brand guidelines, whichare based on CDC, FDA, EPA and OSHA guidelines.2. Adherence to the laws and guidelines set bytheir state and local municipalities.3. Commitment to a minimum of one person perlocation with a current ServSafe Food ProtectionManager certification.4. Commitment to ensuring employees have beentrained in ServSafe Food Handler courses and have gonethrough the free ServSafe COVID-19 Precaution TrainingsRestaurants ready to make the commitment can signon at ServSafeCommit.orgRESTAURANTOPERATIONGUIDANCEl 3 l COVID-19 OPERATING GUIDANCEThe National Restaurant Association partnered withrepresentatives of the Food and Drug Administration,academia, the Conference for Food Protection,Ecolab, public health officials and industry representativesto develop these guidelines to help restaurants return tofull operation safely as states continue to respond to theCOVID-19 outbreak.This guidance is designed to provide you with a basicsummary of recommended practices that can be used tohelp mitigate exposure to the COVID-19 virus, including:Food safetyCleaning, sanitizing and safely disinfectingEmployee health monitoring and personal hygieneSocial distancingEffective ventilationCombine this guidance with your existing policies as wellas this new resource from the CDC, Considerations forRestaurants and Bars, and CDC’s Activities and InitiativesSupporting the COVID-19 Response and the President’sPlan for Opening America Up Again.Armed with information, ServSafe training and therecommendations of your local health departments, youcan help secure safe operation.For the most comprehensive and up-to-date COVID-19resources and information for the restaurant industry, visitrestaurant.org/COVID19.

COVID-19RESTAURANTRESPONSEFood safety has always been a priority for the restaurant industry,for both guests and employees.The basis of an effective food safety culture is the Food and DrugAdministration Food Code, which for decades has served as thefoundation for restaurant operating procedures as they relate tosafe food handling. The guidance outlined in the Food Code isscience-based and is designed to reduce and prevent the incidenceof foodborne illness. Food Code requirements related to sanitationand personal hygiene in particular are the most reliable protocolsavailable to combat risks related to the spread of COVID-19.Local, state and federal regulators use the FDA Food Code as amodel to develop or update their own food safety rules and to beconsistent with national food regulatory policy.AMONG THE REQUIREMENTS OFTHE FOOD CODE THAT APPLY TOCORONAVIRUS MITIGATION AREProhibiting sick employees in the workplaceStrict hand washing practices that include how andwhen to wash handsStrong procedures and practices to clean andsanitize surfacesEnsuring the person in charge of a foodservicefacility is a certified food safety managerEnsuring the person in charge is on site at all timesduring operating hoursFOR MORE THAN30 YEARS, THEN AT I O N A L R E S TAU R A N TA S S O C I AT I O N’S S E RV S A F EPROGRAM HAS PROVIDEDFOOD SAFETY TRAININGFOR BOTH MANAGERS ANDFOOD HANDLERS.ServSafe certifies food safetymanagers through an independentlydeveloped certification exam, whichfollows standards adopted by theConference for Food Protection.The Conference for Food Protectionalso collaborates with the FDA todevelop the Food Code.THE PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDANCEIS TO BUILD ON THE ALREADYESTABLISHED BEST PRACTICESAND REQUIREMENTS AVAILABLEthat address specific health and safetyconcerns related to the spread ofCOVID-19, and to put those protocolsinto practice as state and local officialscontinue to open communities andbusinesses.Operators should make use of theseguidelines as they relate to theirexisting policies and procedures andin conjunction with instructions theyreceive from authorities.l 4 l COVID-19 OPERATING GUIDANCE

GUIDANCEFOREMPLOYERSOperators should update their existing policies and implementoperating procedures in accordance with the latest FDA, CDC,EPA and OSHA guidance and in accordance with local and stateofficials regarding:Social distancing and protective equipmentEmployee health and personal hygieneCleaning/sanitizing/disinfectingFacility maintenance to include HVAC and aircirculation systemsON FOODSAFETYDiscard all food items that are out of date.Where salad bars and buffets are permitted by local/stateofficials, they must have sneeze guards in place. Change, wash anddisinfect utensils and containers that are handled frequently andplace appropriate barriers in open areas. Alternatively, cafeteriastyle service (employee served) is permissible with barriers betweenguests and servers, and when employees use PPE and limit closecontact between guests. Where appropriate, use floor markers tohelp guests stay 6 feet apart.Wherever possible, assign a staff member to work the selfservice drink stations, limit guest congregation/lines, and removelemons and unwrapped straws from the area.If providing a “grab and go” service, stock coolers tominimum levels.Ensure the person in charge is ServSafe certified and that theircertification is up to date, and provide food handler training to refreshfood safety knowledge for employees.l 5 l COVID-19 OPERATING GUIDANCE

GUIDANCEFORCLEANINGANDSANITIZINGThoroughly clean and safely disinfect entire facility (followEPA safety guidelines). Disinfect both high-touch points andseldom-touched surfaces in back-of-house, front-of-houseand guest-service areas. If a sanitizer is used, ensure it’seffective against COVID-19. Follow the manufacturers’ labelsand guidance to ensure products are used correctly, safely,and for their intended purposes.Wash and rinse food-contact surfaces, food-preparationsurfaces, and beverage equipment after use. Avoid foodcontact surfaces when using disinfectants. However, if useof a disinfectant is necessary due to COVID-19 exposure, thefood-contact surface should be washed, rinsed and sanitizedafter disinfectant use and prior to reuse of the surface.Clean and disinfect restrooms regularly and, when possible,stock them with individual disinfectant wipes.Make hand sanitizer readily available to guests. Considertouchless hand sanitizing solutions.Avoid sharing items such as menus, condiments and foodorders. Use single-use or digital menus; toss single-use menusafter each use. Opt for single-use condiments. Use no-touchtrash cans.Use contactless payment options as much as possible.Ask customers and employees to exchange cash or cards byplacing them on a receipt tray or on the counter to avoid handto-hand contact.Clean and disinfect any pens, counters, or hard surfacesbetween use or customer.l 6 l COVID-19 OPERATING GUIDANCEUse disposable foodservice items (utensils, dishes). If notfeasible, ensure that all non-disposable foodservice itemsare handled with gloves and wash according to FDA FoodCode requirements. Employees should wash their handsafter removing their gloves or after directly handling usedfoodservice items.Use gloves when handling and disposing of trash, disposeof gloves immediately after and wash hands.Avoid using food and beverage containers or utensilsbrought in by customers.Take steps to ensure that all water systems and features(drinking fountains) are safe to use after a prolonged facilityshutdown to minimize the risk of Legionnaires’ disease andother diseases associated with water.