{"id":25499,"date":"2020-05-12T13:05:15","date_gmt":"2020-05-12T17:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-gordon-food-service-canada.pantheonsite.io\/ideas\/what-does-your-restaurant-reopening-landscape-look-like\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T11:04:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T15:04:13","slug":"what-does-your-restaurant-reopening-landscape-look-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/what-does-your-restaurant-reopening-landscape-look-like\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does Your Restaurant Reopening Landscape Look Like?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>The rules will be different everywhere, but thinking ahead is essential.<\/h2>\n<p>How should restaurants reopen in a world that looks nothing like it did just two months ago? As operators in some parts of the country look for a green light on dining in, the answer is murky.<\/p>\n<p>A lot depends on provincial and local guidelines that cover everything from opening to occupancy to social distancing and sanitation. Here is some guidance to help you understand:<\/p>\n<h2><strong>WHO can tell me when it\u2019s OK to reopen?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Look for your Premier and Public Health Office in each province to set guidelines. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/\">Public Health Ontario<\/a> establishes guidelines and advises Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Each Public Health Office is guided by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/public-health.html\">Public Health Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>WHEN will customers be able to sit at my tables?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It depends on your location. As of May 6, only Manitoba is allowing dine-in eating for outdoor\/patio settings. Reopening will likely look different in each province and territory, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1XvklPPiMQ7rhQS7uVVctN2xsKdlgRYoE78CFhJg8OgM\/htmlview?usp=sharing&amp;pru=AAABchSQO7Q*Vs60aCu6XU41heufcBjv8g\">Restaurants Canada Reopening Tracker<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alberta.ca\/release.cfm?xID=70217037B8E9C-C319-32CC-240D33487895E4F7\"><strong>Alberta<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> limited opening planned May 14.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www2.gov.bc.ca\/assets\/gov\/public-safety-and-emergency-services\/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery\/gdx\/bcs_restart_plan_web.pdf\"><strong>British Columbia<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Phase 2 opening planned for mid-May.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.mb.ca\/covid19\/restoring\/approach.html\"><strong>Manitoba<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Stage 2 will begin no earlier than June 1.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www2.gnb.ca\/content\/gnb\/en\/news\/news_release.2020.04.0226.html\"><strong>New Brunswick<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Restaurants could reopen as part of <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.gnb.ca\/content\/dam\/gnb\/Departments\/h-s\/pdf\/COVID19_recovery_phase-1_guidance_document-e.pdf\">Phase 2<\/a> anytime within the next two weeks.&nbsp;<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.nl.ca\/covid-19\/files\/A-Foundation-for-Living-with-COVID-19.pdf\"><strong>Newfoundland and Labrador<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Restaurants will remain closed for in-person dining throughout <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.nl.ca\/covid-19\/alert-system\/public-health-guidance-for-all-alert-levels\/\">Alert Level 4<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/novascotia.ca\/news\/release\/?id=20200501006\"><strong>Nova Scotia<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Some public health restrictions were lifted on May 1, but no clear guidelines have been set for reopening restaurants.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/files.ontario.ca\/mof-framework-for-reopening-our-province-en-2020-04-27.pdf\"><strong>Ontario<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> No clear guidelines have been set for reopening restaurants.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.princeedwardisland.ca\/en\/topic\/renew-pei-together\"><strong>Prince Edward Island<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Limited <a href=\"https:\/\/www.princeedwardisland.ca\/en\/publication\/covid-19-operational-plan-template\">Phase 3<\/a> reopening could start by June 12.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.quebec.ca\/en\/health\/health-issues\/a-z\/2019-coronavirus\/gradual-resumption-activities-covid19-related-pause\/#c57361\"><strong>Quebec<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> No clear guidelines have been set for reopening restaurants.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.saskatchewan.ca\/government\/news-and-media\/2020\/april\/23\/reopen-saskatchewan-plan\"><strong>Saskatchewan<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Restaurants are part of a Phase 3 reopening plan. A date has not been determined, but Phase 2 is scheduled to start May 19.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>WHAT dine-in rules might I face?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Again, the rules won\u2019t be the same for every restaurant. Federal and provincial governments and local health officials have policymaking authority. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/industry-news\/navigating-coronavirus-covid-19-resources-for-foodservice-operators\/\">Restaurants Canada<\/a> can provide clarity. Some possible safety measures include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Temperature checks at the entrance<\/li>\n<li>Restricted seating capacity<\/li>\n<li>Signage on entrances, exits and floors<\/li>\n<li>No waiting lines allowed<\/li>\n<li>Social distancing between guests and tables<\/li>\n<li>All guests may need masks (employees may need face shields, masks and gloves)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>WHERE should I start?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Restrictions will touch every area of your business, and there\u2019s no area more important right now than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eat.news\/re-emergence-guide-for-restaurants\">cleanliness and safety<\/a>. Welcome guests to break quarantine and feel comfortable:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Deep clean and sanitize regularly (guests will be comforted seeing spray bottles and wipes)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Train your staff on regulations<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/voraciously\/wp\/2020\/05\/01\/reopened-restaurants-reveal-dinings-new-normal-masked-waiters-e-menus-and-booth-dividers\/\">Communicate<\/a> your enhanced procedures and commitment to health and safety<\/li>\n<li>Make masks available<\/li>\n<li>Have hand sanitizer available<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>HOW will this affect my business?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A lot depends on the type of restaurant you run. Fast-casual restaurants will have different challenges than fine dining. Some considerations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Right-size your menu by limiting core items<\/li>\n<li>Decide the role takeout\/delivery will play<\/li>\n<li>Utilize food trucks to encourage social distancing and supplement takeout needs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>ARE the precautions worth it?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The new normal will look abnormal for a while. The health and safety of your guests and staff are vital. Knowing the rules, best practices, and <a href=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/5e6fb19a39a597082c58a056\/5ea759562817402b8cae91c8_290253-Coronavirus-Reopen-Strategy-Whitepaper-CA-EN.pdf\">creating a plan<\/a> gets your restaurant ready and allows you to adjust as time goes on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The rules will be different everywhere, but thinking ahead is essential. How should restaurants reopen in a world that looks nothing like it did just two months ago? As operators in some parts of the country look for a green light on dining in, the answer is murky. A lot depends on provincial and local [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":26800,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122,112,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-catering-small-business","category-restaurant-bars","category-running-your-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.9 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Does Your Restaurant Reopening Landscape Look Like? | Gordon Food Service<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/what-does-your-restaurant-reopening-landscape-look-like\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Does Your Restaurant Reopening Landscape Look Like?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The rules will be different everywhere, but thinking ahead is essential. How should restaurants reopen in a world that looks nothing like it did just two months ago? As operators in some parts of the country look for a green light on dining in, the answer is murky. A lot depends on provincial and local [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/what-does-your-restaurant-reopening-landscape-look-like\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gordon Food Service\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GordonFoodService\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-12T17:05:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-01T15:04:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Untitled-1_18_0.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"760\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Cody Rivers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@cody.rivers@gfs.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GFSDelivers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Cody Rivers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Does Your Restaurant Reopening Landscape Look Like? | Gordon Food Service","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/what-does-your-restaurant-reopening-landscape-look-like\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Does Your Restaurant Reopening Landscape Look Like?","og_description":"The rules will be different everywhere, but thinking ahead is essential. 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