McDonald’s has plans to reopen dining rooms — and there are big changes coming

Maddie Capron
·2 min read

McDonald’s is making plans to reopen its restaurants, and things promise to look a little different as the coronavirus continues to linger.

The fast-food giant is planning to add several safety measures to help keep customers and workers safe. In a nearly 60-page document obtained by media outlets called “The Dine-In Reopening Playbook,” the fast-food giant outlines its safety additions, including adding stickers on the floor to encourage social distancing and closing the self-service drink fountains, CNN Business reported.

Several tables throughout the restaurant will be closed to help keep space between customers, The New York Times reported. Other changes include cleaning digital kiosks every time a customer uses them, scrubbing the restrooms every 30 minutes and disinfecting “high-touch areas,” according to The Times.

Employees will be required to wash their hands every hour, according to CNN Business.They also will be required to wear masks and gloves, according to USA Today. Every employee will also have their temperature taken before work, The Times reported.

PlayPlaces and interactive games will also be off limits, CNN Business reported.

“As our daily routines continue to evolve, we remain committed to safely serving you and our local neighborhoods around the country,” McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger said in a statement to USA Today. “We look forward to welcoming you back into our dining rooms, when the timing is right and with these extra precautions in place.”

As the coronavirus pandemic escalated in recent weeks, most McDonald’s have been operating on a “drive-thru” only basis for weeks.

Fewer than 100 McDonald’s restaurants have opened dining rooms in states that have loosened stay-at-home restrictions, The Times reported. A McDonald’s official will decide if a restaurant can open once local government officials say dine-in services can resume, the news outlet reported.

There is no timetable for when all McDonald’s locations will reopen.