South Carolina – Opening Restaurants
Phase One Recommendations
The guidelines detailed in this plan are driven by three major considerations: safety, gradual and
phasing in. We respectfully submit the balanced and strategic approach using best practices is the
optimal approach for the state – our fellow citizens and our guests.
In that spirit we suggest opening restaurant outdoor dining areas on May 4 with their being
treated the same as takeout, curbside service and delivery from the regulation standpoint. Fol-
lowing with restaurants including dine-in areas to open the week of May 1l as described below.
During the Phase One of restaurants opening in South Carolina, it is suggested that the following
steps are adhered to until the data demonstrates these requirements can be relaxed and recom-
mendations from CDC/FDA/DHEC before moving on to subsequent phases. Phase Two should
experience an increase in customer counts in restaurants, and Phase Three could mean decreasing
social distance and face mask wearing in restaurants, but this won’t be clear until it is demon-
strated that Phase One can be done successfully.
Prior to reopening, it is critical that every restaurant intending to reopen evaluate their inventory,
review their food safety certification and procedures to ensure they can open in compliance with
SC Food Safety regulations, and do a deep re-clean and sanitize the entire restaurant facility us-
ing the CDC-recommended guidelines during COVID-19.
South Carolina is committed to following the protocols established by Governor McMaster re-
garding safe social distancing and this heightened awareness of public safety. South Carolina’s
restaurant industry is waiting for the return of its guests and, in the meantime, we are preparing
for the reopening by suggesting doing the following things to welcome customers:
§ Post a sign on the door to your restaurant that no one with a fever or persistent cough is to
be permitted in the restaurant.
§ Provide signage at each public entrance to inform all employees and customers that they
should:
o Not allowed to enter if they feel generally unwell
o Maintain a minimum of 6-foot distance
o Sneeze or cough into a cloth or tissue
o Not shake hands or engage in any unnecessary physical contact
§ Post a sign on receiving door that no suppliers or vendors should enter if they have a fe-
ver or persistent cough.
PO Box 7577 • Columbia, SC 29202 • 1122 Lady St., Suite 1210 • 803-765-9000 • www.scrla.org
Furthermore, we are recommending the following “best practices” for reassuring your cus-
tomers of your commitment to their safety while dining:
§ Post in a publicly prominent place in your facility and on your website your commitment
to:
o Food safety
o Staff safety training
o Steps that you are taking to go above and beyond in providing safe food and a
safe, enjoyable dining experience
o Customer safety
o Customer responsibility
§ Create, execute and post publicly a full scale ‘ready for dine-in’ cleaning and sanitizing
protocol in preparation for welcoming customers.
We recommend the following steps be followed in order to safely open back up and build
the trust of our customers in this unique and trying time in our history:
Training:
§ Continue and enhance employee safety training, highly emphasizing proper hand
washing and hygiene etiquette.
§ Encourage restaurants to bring in staff at least one week prior to opening for the pur-
pose of training, cleaning, building inventory, etc.
§ All restaurants are required to meet the minimum education and training standards
outlined in DHEC Regulation 61-25. At least one employee with the authority to di-
rect and control food preparation and service shall be a food protection manager who
has been certified by an accredited program. Only Conference for Food Protection
ANSI-certified Food Protection Manager courses meet the requirements of 2-102.20
§ All restaurants are encouraged to have their employees complete a DHEC-approved
Food Handler training and all managers earn their Conference for Food Protection
ANSI-certified Food Protection Manager certification.
§ For those operations with carry out and delivery service, have employees take the
Free ServSafe COVID-19 training for carryout and delivery service.
Restaurant Dining Room Focus:
§ Create a plan and checklist of all back of house and front of house surfaces the staff and
customers will come in contact with.
§ Select one person per shift to be in charge of safety and sanitation during the shift, ob-
serving and ensuring that hand washing is done appropriately, and sanitation of dining
PO Box 7577 • Columbia, SC 29202 • 1122 Lady St., Suite 1210 • 803-765-9000 • www.scrla.org
room areas, restrooms, lobbies and door areas is done regularly and consistently (mini-
mum of hourly).
§ Restaurants already have sanitization regulations that need to continue to be adhered to
based on regulation 61-25, Retail Food Establishments. .
§ Install touchless hand sanitizers at all entry doors if availability permits. At your main en-
trance, provide a cleaning station with alcohol-based hand sanitizer, tissues, and a trash
can for visitors.
§ Use sanitizing solutions to clean tables, chairs, and check presenters after each seating.
Clean and sanitize salt and pepper fixtures or use single use condiments. Use paper
menus if possible or sanitize menus after each use.
§ Sanitize all doorknobs and other frequently touched surfaces as much as possible between
newly arriving parties with approved sanitizing solution.
§ Cleaning supplies should be single use (paper towels, disposable mop heads) or laun-
dered between uses (dish towels, mop heads).
§ Space tables, if possible, at least six feet apart. If not possible, seat tables in rotation, or
block seats. Utilize outdoor seating if possible. Reduce seating in dining rooms to the ap-
propriate level based on square footage and layout of the dining room.
§ No more than eight customers at a table during Phase 1 of the reopening of our restau-
rants.
§ Manual or digital reservation system would be helpful to be more efficient with table
seating. Have diners wait for tables in cars or outdoors using social distancing regulations
rather than congregating in your dining room. Text them when their table is available.
§ If there is any waiting outside the restaurant or at the counter, tape or markings should be
used to monitor six feet physical distance.
§ If not already standard operating procedures, have sanitization check lists for restrooms
and other public areas.
§ Set up guidelines for server stations so they are not congregating together. Depending on
the size of the restaurant, consider having a station for each server.
§ During routine business hours, frequently and thoroughly clean and disinfect all fre-
quently touched objects within the dining and customer areas (doorknobs, cabinet han-
dles, handrails, light switches, kitchen counters, dining room tables).
§ Deep clean and disinfect the entire facility during non-operational hours at least five
times per week.
§ Only use kiosks or touch screens if they can be sanitized between uses, encourage touch-
less payment operations like credit cards with no signature required.
PO Box 7577 • Columbia, SC 29202 • 1122 Lady St., Suite 1210 • 803-765-9000 • www.scrla.org
§ Do not place utensils on table until patron is seated and, if possible, use disposable sin-
gle-use utensils.
§ In self-service seating restaurants, signage should be placed on tables/booths which are
not to be occupied so that proper social distancing can be maintained.
§ Remove bar stools or maintain a 6’ distance between each to allow people to order drinks
at the bar and sit using appropriate social distancing.
Food Safety Focus:
§ Place settings, utensils, menus, and condiments will either be single-use or will be
cleaned and disinfected after every use.
§ Continue to clean and sanitize food preparation surfaces in the kitchen and other food
storage areas at the frequency required by R. 61-25.
§ Buffets and self-service stations: Have staff dispense food from buffets (cafeteria-style)
or discontinue these services to prevent customer reuse of service utensils and potential
physical contamination.
§ Have sanitizer or another disinfectant readily available to all guests and employees.
§ Thoroughly disinfect every table, chair/booth, utensil, glass, and surface the guest has
contacted.
§ Staff should wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Gloves
should be discarded after cleaning and disinfecting is completed. Ensure that staff
properly wash their hands immediately after gloves are removed.
Employee Safety Focus:
§ Each employee will pass a health check or health survey prior to each shift.
§ Heightened hygienic practices including peer observation and supervisor oversight to en-
sure staff are washing hands frequently and correctly, gloves may be used and must be
changed properly, and that staff avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
§ It is recommended that fast food and fast casual restaurants have Plexi-glass between
cashiers and customers as well as pick up areas and customers.
§ If possible, host stands should also have a plexiglass barrier between staff and guests.
§ Constant interaction (before each shift) with staff on their health status and the health of
anyone with whom they may be in close contact (family members, roommates, etc.).
PO Box 7577 • Columbia, SC 29202 • 1122 Lady St., Suite 1210 • 803-765-9000 • www.scrla.org
§ Immediately exclude any staff members indicating symptoms or that have been diag-
nosed with COVID-19 or have been in contact with someone diagnosed COVID-19.
§ Ensure staff do NOT share cups and eating utensils with others.
§ If possible, all employees handling food should wear gloves and wear masks during
Phase One. This is not just for the safety of our guests, but also for their psychological
sense of safety.
§ Employees should be allowed to wear gloves and masks if they so desire, even in front-
of- the-house positions and in the restaurant environments when a six-foot social distanc-
ing area in the kitchen and front counter area would be difficult to maintain. Employees
in full-service dining rooms will be given the option but are encouraged to wear masks
and gloves.
Customer Safety Focus:
§ Discontinue services that allow customers to fill or refill their own beverage cups such as
coffee cups or growlers.
§ Plan ahead of time for a circumstance in which you’ll need to expedite a guest’s exit from
your restaurant.
§ Be prepared to put guests in touch with medical resources.
The following sections are requested to promote the revitalization of the restaurant indus-
try through education, marketing and government relief programs.
Customer Responsibilities:
§ If you have been exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19 including fever,
cough, or shortness of breath, please help us keep everyone safe by using our contactless
medical health delivery systems.
§ If you have underlying health conditions that make you a more vulnerable patron, please
use our contactless medical health delivery systems.
Marketing and Promotion:
§ Promote to the local community that employees are well-versed in the importance of per-
sonal health and hygiene and that they understand the critical importance of cleanliness
and sanitation of the establishment.
PO Box 7577 • Columbia, SC 29202 • 1122 Lady St., Suite 1210 • 803-765-9000 • www.scrla.org
§ Encourage SCPRT to launch an extensive ad campaign within a reasonable drive market
radius.
§ Encourage the establishment of localized hospitality industry employment websites
We also recommend the following actions by the government at local, state and federal lev-
els in order to help promote the reopening of the restaurants and thereby one of the eco-
nomic engines of our state and country.
Government:
§ The state should consider indemnifying restaurant owners who follow the guidelines
from lawsuits predicated on transmission of COVID-19 to guests or employees.
§ Possibly provide restaurants with restart grants in the amount of 2x the gross receipts tax
paid over the previous 12-month period (Feb 2019 - Feb 2020).
§ Suspend Gross Receipts Tax.
§ Pursue relief to businesses that demonstrate hardship regarding the payment of fees (in-
cluding alcohol beverage control fees, permit fees, inspection fees and business license
fees).
§ Defer all non-essential regulatory changes
§ Freeze unemployment insurance rates.
§ Defer Insurance premiums for 90 days for general liability, worker’s compensation and
health insurance policies.
§ Enact the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry Recovery Fund (RFIRF).
§ Replenish funding and fix the structural issues of the Paycheck Protection Program
(PPP).
§ Create a “Healthy Restaurants” Tax Credit or Grant Program.
§ Enact the “SNAP COVID-19 Anti-Hunger Restaurant Relief for You Act of 2020”.
§ Increase funding for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs).
§ Allow restaurants to continue off-premise alcohol sales with food to go orders.
PO Box 7577 • Columbia, SC 29202 • 1122 Lady St., Suite 1210 • 803-765-9000 • www.scrla.org
Hospitality Industry Resilience Task Force
Bill Ellen, co-chair; President & CEO, Experience Columbia SC
Chuck Lauer, co-chair; Assistant GM, F&B Director, Embassy Suites Charleston Area Convention Center
Carl Blackstone, President & CEO; Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Charles Calvert, Dean; Department of Hospitality Management, University of South Carolina Beaufort
Robin B. DiPietro, Director; International Institute for Foodservice Research and Education; USC
Amy Duffy, Chief of Staff; Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism
David Evans, Carolina Rental Group, Spartanburg
Bill Groves, General Manager, Embassy Suites by Hilton Greenville Golf Resort & Conference Center
Helen Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Experience Charleston
John Keener, Board President, Lowcountry Hospitality Association; Charleston Crab House
Theresa Koren, Board Chair, Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association; Vacasa/Oceana Resorts
Harris Mullis, Board Chair, L.U.C.C.Y. Chapter; Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, Rock Hill
Marcus Munse, Board Chair, Columbia Hotel Chapter; Hotel Trundle
Chet Patel, SC Regional Director, AAHOA; Country Inn & Suites, Beaufort
Chad Patterson, Board Chair, Florence Chapter; Raldex Hospitality
Myra C. Reece, Director of Environmental Affairs; Department of Health and Environmental Control
Terry Sedalik, Chairman, SC Golf Council; Charleston
Steve Seitz, COO, Table 301; Greenville
Bobby Williams, Board Chair, SCRLA; CEO, Lizards Thicket
Staff:
John Durst, SCRLA
Lenza Jolley, SCRLA
Douglas OFlaherty, SCRLA
Susan Walters, SCRLA
Chris Christon, SCRLA, Hilton Head Island
PO Box 7577 • Columbia, SC 29202 • 1122 Lady St., Suite 1210 • 803-765-9000 • www.scrla.org
