Coronavirus: Indian Restaurants are Stepping Up their Hygiene Game

While a few restaurants are now taking the social responsibility by shutting down their restaurants and bars, for the time being, various restaurants and cafes which are still operating are maintaining extreme hygiene practices in their day-to-day operations. 

From sanitizing to checking the temperature of food, they are incorporating all possible precautions to deliver safe and healthy food to their customers. We have been very alert and cautious since the Covid-19 outbreak, says Chetan Arora from Mad Chef. 

“We've ramped up standards for employee hygiene which directly impact customer health. An adversity like this hasn't been heard of in recent times and while business has taken a severe dip in the last few days, we're optimistic that things will get better very soon. We are using this time to think positively and work on upgrading ourselves and preparing for the future,” he says.

Taking Precautions is What we Need

Another restaurant, The New York Burrito in Mumbai says that it is following all the measures that have been stated by the DPSC checklist (Daily Product Safety Checklist), 

“We are rigorously following the hourly hand-wash process which is defined in the curriculum for Hygiene, in-house training and people development programmes. All our food items are checked four times a day for appropriate temperatures as stated in the DPSC checklist. Also our employees are being educated about this pandemic and are told to stay away from the crowded locations,” says Senil Shah- Founder of The New York Burrito.

Karan Sachdeva, Co-Founder at Poppins Hotal in Gurgaon said that it has become mandatory and social responsibility for them to take care of people who visit Poppins. “Right from The face masks for servers, hand gloves for kitchen staff and Sanitizers on every table with the menu, we are making sure to keep up to the hygiene standards of Poppins,” he said. 

Panic Kills not the Ailment 

At times like this, restaurateurs are taking this challenge as a collective concern and their focus from business has shifted from their customers’ and employees’ safety.  Arjun Dawar owner of Uncultured café and bar in Kailash colony market says, “It’s not as tough time for business as it is for the country right now. Business will flourish when people are nourished.” It is advising its customers to avoid handshaking and high fiving in their premises.  

Restaurant owners are also checking the temperatures of their employees and telling them to go home if they are suffering from cold and high temperatures. “All the kitchen and service staff are sanitising and washing their hands every one hour. We are also checking temperatures of staff with infra red thermometers and sending the ones who have fever or cold back to their homes,” Amit Bagga, Co founder at Daryaganj says. 

Meanwhile, Vikrant Batra, Founder of Cafe Delhi Heights says that apart from stepping up the cleaning processes, employees are also instructed to regularly clean doors, handles, tables, chairs and bathrooms. 

“We have also arranged disposable masks and good quality hand sanitizers for every outlet. Employee encouragement towards washing their hands repeatedly and maintaining personal hygiene is also being emphasized,” he says.

He further explains that “The current situation is a situation of panic which requires people to maintain their calm along with social distance and personal hygiene. As a brand we have abided by our social responsibility and are doing as much as we can towards offering the cleanest and safest ambiance along with hygienic food and drinks to our guests.”