The sudden spike in Covid cases has left everyone petrified. People everywhere have amped up their precautionary measures and so have restaurants, pubs and cafes in town. Here’s how popular places are ensuring customers have a safe dining experience.
Precautionary measures
The management of The Coffee Cup in Sainikpuri is making no mistake in keeping up their hygiene standards amid the pandemic. Venkat Reddy talks about the precautions taken at the café. “We are conducting compulsory temperature checks for every customer and staff member who walks in. We’re sanitising the place regularly and spraying sodium hypochloride to achieve maximum safety. Any staff member who returns from leave has to undergo a mandatory RT-PCR test and only then can they resume work. We’re permitting them to go on sick leave at the slightest mention of any symptom,” shares Reddy, the manager.
Nishant Sinha, the founder of Roastery Coffee House on Road No. 14, Banjara Hills, says, “Our hygiene protocol has never changed or been compromised upon for two years now, even when there was a dip in cases. The drill’s the same — temperature check, masks and social distancing. If and when the government announces a night curfew or 50 per cent seating capacity, we will abide by those too.”
Every employee at Farzi Cafe on Road No. 59, Jubilee Hills, is fully vaccinated. “The entire area is sanitised at least six-seven times a day and every table is sanitised after guests use i t , ” shares general manager Sateesh Polkam.
Anna Native in Sainikpuri, which opened amid the pandemic, two months ago, is all the more strict when it comes to hygeine. “Sanitisers, masks and face shields have been the norm since day one. Every table has a sanitiser,” Mohd Abdul Kareem, the managing partner, says.
Rubin Cherian, general manager at Novotel Hyderabad Airport, talks about the precautions: “All our employees wear N95 masks and gloves that are discarded every hour. The buffets have a sneeze guard — an acrylic stand between the guests and the food ensures nothing falls onto their plate in case somebody sneezes. Our hands-free menu can be accessed through a QR code and payments too are accepted through a similar process.”
Disposable cutlery
Novotel Hyderabad Airport is using disposable paper mats that are discarded once guests leave. The Coffee Cup has ditched their ceramic cutlery for disposable ones. At Farzi, once a plate is washed, it goes through dry sanitation until it warms up, killing the germs on it.
Crowd management
While The Coffee Cup and Farzi Cafe are strictly following a 50 per cent seating system, Anna Native has cut down on the number of tables, allowing the place to be more spacious and making it easier for their guests to socially distance themselves. Srinivas Samanuri, the regional manager at Prost, says they are regulating their guests based on their vaccination status and age.
Table for one
The Coffee Cup and Farzi are encouraging single diners. “At Westin, we will have to wait for our guests (most of them being corporate employees) to turn from their vacation/break to accommodate single seating,” informs Prasanna Venkatesh, F&B director, Westin
Altering the layout
Prost, which earlier had eight-seater tables, has altered it to four-seaters. With Farzi having the advantage of a huge space, there’s a minimum distance of 5-6 feet between each table. They are allowing only four people to sit at six-seater tables.
Vaccination status
Prost is allowing only fully vaccinated customers. Anna Native, Coffee Cup and Westin are encouraging customers to get vaccinated but aren’t denying entry upon not having taken the shot.
Additions to the menu
Novotel Airport has a 3,000 sq ft garden that has different varieties of immunity-boosting herbs, spices and vegetables that we grow. “Using them we offer special salads, desserts and our main course. Our chefs have done thorough research and come up with a few immunity-boosting dishes,” they tell CE.
Coffee Cup has come up with juices with no added flavours, Anna Native menu thrives on masalas that boost one’s immunity. Prost’s latest outlet introduced drinks like the Royal Ragi.
Complimentary warm drinks
Coffee Cup serves complimentary warm drinks and fruits to customers. Novotel put together a special khada that is being served as a welcome drink for guests.