COVID-19 Practices for Smokin’ George’s BBQ

June 2020

The following plan outlines the steps we are taking at Smokin’ George’s BBQ to comply with health and safety protocols set out and required by the Provincial Health Officer.

On May 19th, 2020, the Province of BC loosened restrictions placed on restaurants during the height of the pandemic making it possible for restaurants to allow customers back into their seating area. Doing this safely requires many protocols that are challenging to implement therefore we have decided to continue with a contactless take out system that allows Smokin’ George’s BBQ to operate while keeping both our staff and customers safe.

COVID-19 Practices for Smokin’ George’s BBQ – All Employees

• Mandatory hand washing when entering the restaurant and before changing.
• Observe and follow posted handwashing guidelines
• Observe and follow posted social distancing guidelines
• Face masks will be mandatory for employees who are unable to practice social distancing
• Be vigilant about following protocols for sanitizing workstations and equipment
• Arrive in time to change into a clean shirt & apron. Wear a hairnet, face net or SG BBQ hat to control long hair or unkept facial hair.
• Do not linger in areas where bottle necks can occur such as around the pot washer area or staff bathroom when changing.
• Be cautious and move out of the way or to the side to let others pass when in tight areas
• Commit to working only when healthy and call in sick if feeling unwell.
• Workstations are set up to allow each employee to have their own space to work in and enable social distancing requirements of six feet.
• We need to look after each other. Please be aware that actions outside the workplace can have a dramatic impact on the entire team and could result in the shut down of the business and the loss of employment for everyone.
• Our current work environment is hectic and stressful. When not at work, take time for yourself, get plenty of rest and take time to relax. Try to engage in activities that have a positive impact on your physical health and mental wellbeing. For example: spend time outdoors in nature when possible.
• Please remember that all personal connections travel back to the team, be respectful of your teammates.

COVID-19 Back of Houses Practices for Smokin’ George’s BBQ

• Mandatory hand washing when entering the kitchen and before changing.
• Line cook stations (fry station & well station) have been set up to allow for social distancing
• Equip your station with your own equipment at the start of each shift and after breaks so that sharing of equipment between cooks is unnecessary
• Keep your own set of pens and sharpies for marking orders. Sanitize before and after use
• A cart has been set up between the fry station and the well station to allow items to be passed between the station while still observing the 6 foot social distancing rule
• Tongs, serving utensils and knives etc are to be swapped out for clean before and after breaks.
• Continue with taking and recording of temperature checks for hot items, items cooling and refrigeration.
• Use compostable spoons for tasting product and discard after use.
• Each station is equipped with sanitizer and should be used at every opportunity to wipe down stations or at a minimum of every 40 minutes. Pay particular attention to repeated contact surfaces such as fridge and door handles, drawers, faucet handles and hand wash sinks.
• To reduce traffic in tight areas, the prep cook/expeditor will bring required prep items to the line cooks and remove dirty dishes to the dish pit area.
• Front of house staff should not enter the line cook area.
• Orders are to placed on the pass for packing and distribution by the expeditor
• An extra prep shift has been added on Tuesdays when the restaurant is closed to help limit number of employees in the kitchen at one time.
• Most deliveries and necessary work carried out by contractors will be scheduled on Monday’s and Tuesday’s when the restaurant is closed.
• The dishwashing area will be managed by the prep cook & runner.
• Prepare 3 loads of dirty equipment and run through dishwasher. Wash hands and put clean dishes away before prepping next load of dirty. Do not touch clean equipment before washing hands.
• Take time with end of night cleaning (Do not rush). We all want to head out at the end of the day but it’s very important to take extra time to ensure that all surfaces have been wiped down and sanitized.

COVID-19 Contactless Take out System Practices for Smokin’ George’s BBQ

Contact between front of house staff and customers has been minimized by implementing a contactless take-out system. Customers call to place their order over the phone and are encouraged to pay over the phone. They are asked for the make and model of their car and their order is placed in the trunk or back seat when they arrive at their designated pickup time. Our payment device has been set up for tap for customer’s who need to use the debit machine and an area has been set up for them to complete the transaction just inside the front door. Hand sanitizer is provided for customers outside the front door and there is plenty of signage to encourage customers to use the sanitizer and practice social distancing while they wait for their orders.

COVID-19 Front of Houses Practices for Smokin’ George’s BBQ

• Mandatory hand washing when entering the restaurant and before changing.
• Use the headset that has been provided for your use when taking phone orders. Be sure to sanitize your headset before and after use.
• Keep your own set of pens and sharpies for marking orders. Sanitize before and after use.
• When taking orders over the phone, be sure to gather as much detail about the order as possible so that customers do not come into the restaurant to request additional items be added to their order.
• When time allows, create napkin/cutlery bundles with elastic bands to cut down on touch points for take out items. Be sure to wash hands prior to starting this task.
• Sanitize Moneris machine frequently and after each use by a customer. Change cling wrap covering frequently.
• Regularly sanitize touch points in your area:
o all items used for order taking including pens, stapler and POS system,
o areas around your work counter, including the counter behind you and the pass counter,
o frequently touched surfaces including the pop fridge doors, handles on the inside and outside of the front door, and the tables set up to create a customer barrier inside the front door.
• Sanitize all above touch points when changing positions as well as before and after breaks
• While there is more than enough space for the runner and the cashier/order taker to practice social distancing in the front of the house, the shared sanitizing responsibilities create a lack of defined work space. These two positions much be vigilant in keeping their distance from each other particularly when it gets busy.
• When possible, keep front door open to allow for natural airflow inside the restaurant and reduce touch points for customers.