McDonald's Issued Enhanced Safety Guidelines All Locations Will Need To Follow To Reopen Dining Rooms
Update, May 14, 2020 12;43 p.m.: As more fast food restaurants open their locations to dine-in customers, McDonald's released a guide outlining some of the conditions for restaurants to re-open.
In the letter, which was written by president of McDonald’s USA Joe Erlinger, the company outlines some of the enhanced safety and cleaning policies it will require all of its locations nationwide to uphold before reopening its dining rooms. These will be in addition to state and local laws regarding restaurant reopenings.
These procedures include closing some tables to allow for social distancing, frequently cleaning high-touch surfaces, requiring employees to wear masks and gloves, and keeping Play Places closed. You can read the full letter here.
In addition to this letter, The Wall Street Journal reported that the full guide for reopening dining rooms sent to franchisees is 59 pages long and includes closing soda fountains unless there are employees to man them. It also notes bathrooms will be cleaned every half-hour.
Delish reached out to McDonald's to confirm this report and they pointed us to the letter on enhanced safety guidelines.
Original, May 13, 2020 11:57 a.m.: Most fast food restaurants closed their dining rooms in mid-March as the COVID-19 pandemic escalated in the United States and have remained to-go only for weeks. But now, many states are easing their social distancing restrictions and some chains like Popeyes, Burger King, and more are reopening some of their dining rooms.
In a post this week, the CEO of Restaurant Brands International, which owns chains Popeyes, Burger King, and Tim Hortons, announced that the brand's restaurants would be reopening its some of its dining rooms in North America in accordance with guidance from local authorities. A report from Business Insider put that the number of dining rooms at nearly 1,000.
The letter outlined steps the larger restaurant corporation is taking like putting social distancing measures in its dining rooms to offering hand sanitizer to eliminating self-serve stations like soda fountains and condiments. You can read the entire letter here.
McDonald's is also beginning to open up some of its dining rooms in certain communities where state and local restrictions have been lifted. Similar social distancing standards will be put in place, and the chain has implemented health and safety standards that all locations must adhere to before they can reopen their dining rooms.
These changes are not just limited to fast food. Some restaurant chains like Olive Garden and Red Lobster are reopening some of their dining room locations where it is permitted, but they will have enhanced social distancing and safety measures.
But not everyone is reopening for dine-in service just yet. Georgia-based Chick-fil-A did not immediately reopen its dining rooms despite the state easing restrictions last month, but as of May 1, some of its locations will offer carry-out.
Similarly, Wendy's CEO Todd Penegor said that the chain is "in no rush to reopen our dining rooms," during an earnings call last week, according to Restaurant Business Online.
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