During the global COVID-19 pandemic, restaurant managers have been forced to respond to an unprecedented situation. Besides wondering how long the disruptions will last, professionals across the industry have also had to face concerns about health and safety for employees and customers. Ensuring peace of mind is crucial for returning to normal operations.

It can be challenging to know exactly what to do on the road to re-opening, and the appropriate responses will vary based on changing government regulations and recommendations from health officials. In the meantime, however, there are some basic actions you can take to restore confidence in your restaurant.

The first is to check for pests, as it’s likely they’ve been more active than usual without the daily routines of human occupancy. A quick checklist of areas to spot-check includes:

  • The building’s exterior
  • Office space and lockers
  • Drains
  • Trash receptacles
  • Plumbing
  • Kitchen and break areas

These places are most likely to be harbouring pests like flies, cockroaches and rodents, which can spread dangerous pathogens and compromise the safety you’ve worked so hard to restore.

The second action you can take is a full sanitization and disinfection of your restaurant.

However, even if you’ve thoroughly wiped down your entire building, you may still be worried.

That’s why a professional disinfection service like Orkin® VitalClean™ can be an ideal option. It features a product that is Health Canada-registered and labeled for use against a wide variety of pathogens, and is included on Health Canada’s list of products that meet their criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

You can also watch this free 30-minute webinar, where Orkin Canada’s Technical Director and board-certified entomologist Sean Rollo discusses the effects of COVID-19 on human health, how it applies to your business and what you can do to prevent transmission.

For more details about safe and healthy restaurant re-opening procedures, read Orkin Canada’s expert guide here.

Orkin Guide for reopening restaurants