The buffet is open again in Ohio restaurants and bars, but with careful self-service measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
An injunction to reopen self-service restaurants at buffets, salad bars, and hangouts went into effect Thursday night in Buckeye state, mandating that eaters and business owners do their part to keep a social distance before surrendering, Governor Mike DeWine announced the Ohio amendment. Department of Health. The change comes on the heels of one of the busiest restaurant weekends of the year: Valentine’s Day.
Buffets have reopened in Ohio. (iStock)
Lovers of unlimited food will have to stick to the rules before filling their plates. Customers must wear a face cover while using self-service restaurants and wait in line; buffet tables and salad bars must be placed at least two meters apart; and serving utensils should be sanitized and cleaned every hour, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
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The guidelines also suggest that customers use disposable napkins or wax paper when handling the common utensils.
During the pandemic, a number of restaurants and bars across the country stopped serving buffet-style food to avoid high-touch service areas that could promote the spread of the virus. It was a blow to the already struggling buffet restaurant industry, which contracted 26% between 1998 and 2017, while other restaurants grew, according to a report by Business Insider.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests limiting sharing of food tools and supplies and minimizing high-touch materials such as serving spoons as much as possible; otherwise, limit the use of supplies and equipment by one group of workers at a time and clean and disinfect between uses. The CDC also recommends avoiding shared items such as menus and condiments.