July 15, 2020
Budget-Friendly Restaurant Remodeling Projects to Increase Safety Standards
Business owners are itching to reopen their establishments just as much as customers are itching to visit their favorite businesses and get back to some semblance of a normal life. However, reopening must be done properly to ensure the health and safety of both customers and employees. Fortunately, there are several budget-friendly remodeling projects business owners can complete to increase their establishment’s safety standards. Read below to learn more!
image source via Deposit Photos
Partitions and Safety Dividers
Installing partitions and safety dividers in your establishment is an effective way to increase safety. Many establishments are already requiring customers and employees to wear face coverings upon entry to help prevent the spread of airborne bacteria, germs, and viruses. These physical barriers can help further keep employees and customers safe by limiting airborne spread even more.
These glass or plexiglass partitions allow customers and employees to see and hear each other during their transactions. They are fairly easy to assemble and can be installed in many places, commonly at cash registers and anywhere else where transactions occur. You could also put your retail products behind glass dividers.
E&E Exhibit Solutions, a trade show, and event company, has been providing retailers, businesses, and healthcare providers with partitions in the Tempe, AZ area. This practice should become more widespread to protect employees and customers worldwide as they resume frequenting businesses.
Portable Hand Washing Stations
Handwashing and sanitizing are important ways to maintain good health and must be diligently maintained throughout the reopening of restaurant and retail establishments. Many have already provided customers and employees with hand sanitizer and plastic gloves upon entry, but portable hand washing stations provide more thorough levels of cleanliness.
They are especially beneficial in retail and restaurant locations because people are frequently touching items such as menus, credit card kiosks, and items on shelves. With a high number of customers frequently touching the same items, there is a heightened risk of exposure to bacteria and diseases. Fortunately, portable handwashing stations can help curb the spread of infectious diseases. Portable handwashing stations can be purchased from many different retailers and are fairly simple to install and assemble.
Install a Ductless Mini Split
Air quality and ventilation are two important factors of a healthy indoor environment. Indoor air pollution can contribute to the spread of infectious diseases, and the concentration of some pollutants or bacteria is even higher indoors than out. One way to improve ventilation and indoor air quality in your establishment is by upgrading your HVAC system and installing a ductless mini-split system.
Over time, harmful materials can build up in the ducts of central HVAC systems. These can be spread throughout the building during operation, which can directly decrease air quality. Fortunately, this concern is eliminated with a ductless mini-split in your business.
Ductless mini-splits are highly efficient HVAC systems that can create the perfect indoor climate while improving air quality in your establishment. They consist of one outdoor compressor connected to one or more indoor air conditioners by a series of copper wires and pipes.
Ductless mini-splits are available in single and multi-zone systems, meaning they can adequately heat and cool a business with multiple rooms, floors, or levels. They offer many benefits for business owners.
For example, they are highly efficient, which leads to lower energy costs and a reduced environmental impact for your business. They are also available in many different styles to meet the aesthetic and space needs of your business.
Inside of each air conditioner, there is a filter that removes harmful airborne contaminants such as dust, dirt, debris, and other bacteria. It can also eliminate moisture from the air to prevent mold and mildew growth. Removing harmful airborne contaminants will improve your building’s indoor air quality and create a safer environment for both employees and customers.
Enhance Your Outdoor Area
Experts agree that outdoor areas are safer than indoor areas, especially in the early phases of reopening. Businesses can make simple changes to their outdoor areas to create a safer environment for employees and customers.
Whether they are socializing or waiting to enter the indoor area, ensure that customers have adequate space outside. Paint circles or use other clear markings to show where people should stand or wait outside. Restaurant owners could purchase outdoor tables, chairs, or barstools and space them out properly to provide customers with enough distance between those around them.
There could also be partitions put up between tables, as this would also provide a heightened sense of comfort for patrons as they assimilate back into society. You could also purchase shelves or display racks for outside of your store if your retail establishment has adequate space outdoors to do so.
Door Improvements
Door knobs and handles are touched by virtually all patrons upon entering and exiting the premises, which means they can harbor various types of bacteria and germs that can spread rapidly. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent this type of spread.
Installing automatic doors can allow customers to freely enter and exit the premises without ever touching a potentially contaminated doorknob or handle. These doors use sensors to detect approaching people and will remain open for long enough for them, or other nearby patrons, to pass through.
Hands-free door openers have also been designed and produced using 3D printers that allow customers to open and close a door without touching the doorknob or handle. These could be provided to customers, but they must be properly sanitized and cleaned to eliminate any bacteria.
These simple steps can help increase safety standards in your restaurant or retail establishment that will pay off in both the short- and long-term future. Business owners must remain diligent throughout the reopening process, as providing a safe atmosphere for employees and patrons will not only increase health but comfort levels as well.
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