McDonald's is going to look drastically different when it opens
New York (CNN Business)When McDonald's restaurants reopen their dining rooms, customers should expect stickers on the floor encouraging social distancing and the closure of self-serve beverage bars. Workers wearing masks might check in with a thumbs up, or kindly ask you to move away from others.
The fast food chain out lines these specific guidelines to their employees in a 59 page manual, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Floor decals should help space people out in stores.
Franchisees, which operate over 90% of all McDonald's world-wide, will have to pay for their own supplies, the document said.
The playbook also details how to keep the restaurants clean — and make sure customers see the efforts. It spells out how to keep customers six feet away from each other, and mandate the use of some personal protective equipment.
Workers must clean and sanitize tables after each use and restrooms every 30 minutes. McDonald's (MCD) recommends using a tracking sheet to document the cleanings. Employees have to wash their hands every hour. Restaurants don't have to turn on their touch-screen kiosks, but if they do, those screens and key pads have to be cleaned after every use.
The instruction manual outlines ways for restaurant operators to keep customers apart: They must close off some tables and seating areas and use floor stickers to mark out "clearly recognizable paths" that will keep customers six feet away from each other while waiting in line. The stickers should also help keep people six feet away from tables. The restaurants must also keep PlayPlaces closed and disable any interactive games. They'll also have to close self-serve beverage bars.
That's both on recommendation from an epidemiologist, and because of how self-service bars may make customers feel.
"Brand perception is another concern," the guide notes, "and how this would/could play out in the minds of the customers given heightened perceptions around hygiene and safety as they see other customers not take precautions."
Instead, employees must pour drinks out for customers, preferably using fountains usually designated for the drive-thru.
The guidance also mandates the use of personal protective equipment for employees.
Workers have to wear face masks or face coverings, and all employees who handle food or service have to wear gloves.
As of now there are no requirements for the customer to be wearing masks, but has to be available upon request. the manual also gives instructions to the employee on how to talk to the customers and present the changes in a polite way.