Massachusetts’ Restaurant Guidelines – New Restaurant Standards
Massachusetts restaurant guidelines are strict, none the less. Going into 2020, restaurants were flourishing within Massachusetts. By March, most restaurants were shut down due to the novel coronavirus, leading to about a quarter of them shutting their doors for good. Fortunately, as restaurants start to reopen again this summer and into the fall, new standards have been put in place to keep restaurants and its customers safe and protected at all costs. Continue reading to learn more about Massachusetts’ restaurants’ guidelines and safety protocol.
Our restaurant partitions are becoming more and more common throughout the restaurant industry. We are a national company that specializes in the restaurant and hotel space to make sure the reopening of restaurants open with confidence and, of course, under the right guidelines put in place by the state.
Our durable, yet lightweight and easy to move around, partitions, are customizable. So when restaurants, bars, or any other type of dining space reopen for the first time, their customers won’t even recognize the safety precautions put in place by Connect Partitions.
Social Distancing within the Massachusetts Restaurant Guidelines
Indoor dining at booths, tables and benches has been recently permitted. But officials are encouraging restaurants to operate most of their business in their outdoor dining section if available. By limited indoor table service, it’s easier to assure effective compliance with social distancing requirements that have been put in place by the state of Massachusetts. This also helps limit indoor movement and confined spaces where germs can spread more easily.
Plexiglass Partitions
Although tables must be positioned at least six feet apart between each party and any high foot traffic areas (such as bathrooms, entrances, and exits), restaurants may place their tables, booths, or benches closer together if they chose to use protective barriers between each. This includes plexiglass partitions.
Connect Partitions wants to introduce you to our plexiglass partitions, custom made for booths, benches, tables, banquettes, bar tops and countertops. Restaurants can invest in our products to increase the amount of foot traffic through their doors everyday. Restaurants can benefit greatly from our custom plexiglass partitions in not only increasing their table and chair count, but it is a great way to add a new layer of decor to the interior or exterior design.
Our partitions are customizable, which means restaurants have the ability to brand their logo or name on them. This can help make customers feel less obstructed by our partitions, as well as assure them that they’re safe between another party sitting behind them or next to them with less than six feet between them.
Quick Checklist for Reopening Restaurants
Since there is not a vaccine developed for the virus just yet, the food industry needs to make sure to step up its safety checklist for its staff and customers.
It’s important for restaurants to remember to keep six feet between parties of no more than ten people (as of October 5th, 2020). But, luckily, this six foot social distancing can be interchangeable with our plexiglass partitions. They are designed for restaurants by restaurant furniture craftsmen and women. The many benefits they can bring restaurants is endless, including some of the most valuable advantages:
- Giving customers full peace of mind knowing they’re safe and protected
- Allowing more tables and booths to be available to restaurants on a daily basis
- Bringing in more daily revenue compared to socially distancing tables at least 6 feet apart
- Giving restaurants the power to design their own custom plexiglass partitions (different patterns, logos, and brand names available at an additional low cost)
- Polishing up a new look for restaurants across Massachusetts
Besides tables and seating areas being available to customers inside and out, all other areas within restaurants, such as waiting areas or lounge areas, must be closed to prevent gathering of customers. Our partitions can help to an extent with this, which means our products can be used around front desk hosts and hostesses, as well as picking up food orders and delivery service stations.
In addition to keeping common areas cleared for the time being (which can change in the near future with additional reopening phases and guidelines), perfected hygiene is also on the checklist. Not only does this include staff members and chefs to perform certain hygiene standards, but any equipment must also be sanitized to an extent.
Our plexiglass partitions are easy to sanitize and easy to stay clean for long periods of time, although we encourage restaurants to wipe down their partitions in between customers. Connect Partitions also coats all our partitions in an AR MR coating. AR coating is an antireflection coating, while MR coating is a flash mirror coating. Both these coats improve durability against sun damage and prevent scratching as a result of being cleaned and sanitized with harsh cleaning supplies and chemicals, such as bleach that restaurants might sanitize multiple times a day with.
The metal frame that’s standard on all our plexiglass partitions is made of powder coated steel, which will not rust and is also very easy to clean with any type of soft or harsh cleaning products or disinfectant. This makes our restaurant partitions a very future friendly investment for anyone in Massachusetts.
Our restaurant partitions are highly praised because of their superior strength and environmentally resistant surface. This makes working in a newly partitioned restaurant easy to adapt to while regaining the same flow of customer traffic that restaurants were used to before the pandemic hit.
To review the Massachusetts’ restaurant guidelines, social distancing or restaurant partitions are required, as well as heavier sanitation and disinfecting.
Plexiglass Partitions in Place of Social Distancing
As we mentioned above, plexiglass partitions can be used in place of social distancing. This makes reopening Massachusetts restaurants able to perform daily functions at a higher capacity. Connect Partitions understands that losing about half of a restaurant’s daily business can lead to daily revenue decrease, job cuts, and potentially closing their doors permanently.
We’ve designed our products to equal what social distancing does – keep customers and staff safe but at a closer distance. Connect Partitions’ main goal is to keep people safe, secure, and have peace of mind with our restaurant partitions. We understand that restaurants have busy times and busy seasons depending on the location, especially here in Massachusetts, which is why we want to make sure they keep their revenue flowing. Our partitions are one way to keep all of Massachusetts’’ restaurants’ doors open following the strict guidelines they have to endure.
These phases can also take place for the future months to come, and possibly into next year. As Massachusetts is still treating this pandemic very seriously, Connect Partitions wants to assure restaurants and businesses that we have a solution to their problem – plexiglass partitions.
Maximizing Indoor & Outdoor Seating
By now, restaurants know to either socially distance tables, use plexiglass partitions that we offer, or take advantage of outdoor seating. With new rules in place for phase 3, restaurants will be allowed to maximize outdoor dining space, including patios and parking lots where this is available.
Outdoor Partition Options
Since Massachusetts is a pretty seasonal state to enjoy outdoor dining in the summer months, Connect Partitions has also created restaurant partitions to withstand any outdoor environment. The state is pushing outdoor dining to be more prominent and available for guests rather than indoor dining, which is why we’ve added new products to our line to endure an outdoor environment here in New England.
Our restaurant partition walls with drink rails are a great way to continue to adhere to social distancing in an efficient, adaptable way. This gives customers peace of mind with a design-forward, sophisticated look. By amplifying outdoor seating for Massachusetts restaurants, it’s an easy way to bring in more customers to an even safer environment. Learn more about our outdoor partitions walls in our recent blog post, How Drink Rails Can Spruce Up Your Outdoor Area.
Maximize Indoor Seating With Bar Top Partitions
Connect Partitions also handcrafts our bar top and countertop partitions. Massachusetts restaurant guidelines states that everyone must be seated in the restaurant – no standing allowed. For restaurants, bars can bring in a lot of profit not just for their drinks, but the additional counter space for patrons.
Just like our table, booth, and banquette partitions, these bar top dividers are easy to maneuver between seated parties, as well as durable and transparent for maximum effectiveness. Our bar top and countertop partitions are an easy way for restaurants here to maximize their indoor seating, as well as adhere to strict Massachusetts’ guidelines. Unlike table and booth seating areas, bar areas will still be required to maintain six feet apart between parties even with bar partitions. Connect Partitions’ bar products add an extra layer of safety to bars across Massachusetts.
Another one of the Massachusetts restaurant guidelines also suggests keeping windows and doors open to increase the chance of airflow and decrease the amount of germs with a restaurant’s space. Some restaurants in cities around Massachusetts, including Boston, are taking advantage of their floor to ceiling windows. By keeping these open during their hours, airflow is able to circulate, keeping customers and staff less prone to catching anything. A lot of restaurants in Boston are also limited on square footage, which makes our products more desirable for smaller sized restaurants to keep their doors open. We strive to maximize restaurants’ capacities, which is why we make most of our products to accommodate indoor areas
Hygiene Protocols for Plexiglass Partitions
For restaurants here in Massachusetts, there are strict hygiene guidelines currently in place as of August 11th, 2020. Regardless if a restaurant has plexiglass partitions or now, hygiene must be maintained for any indoor or outdoor table seating that is available to carry-out customers. Even a cleaning log might be necessary, depending on how big or small the restaurant is. This can help maintain an organized cleaning schedule, especially if partitions or any type of protective barrier are in place.
Most Massachusetts restaurants already have signs in place to remind workers and customers of hygiene and safety protocols, but visible signage might be required now with the aftermath of the pandemic. Connect Partitions understands how important it is to not only keep equipment clean, such as our plexiglass partitions and other protective barriers, but for all staff, as well. Please check the official Massachusetts restaurant guidelines for updated information.
Although this may not be one of the most important protocols for restaurants to enforce, we highly suggest placing hand sanitizers and hand sanitizing stations where customers have access to. This can help maintain the cleanliness of a restaurant for not only who and what is already sanitized inside, but for unknown visitors, as well.
As we mentioned before, Connect Partitions also coats all our partitions in an AR MR coating. AR coating is an antireflection coating, while MR coating is a flash mirror coating. Both these coats improve durability against sun damage and prevent scratching as a result of being cleaned and sanitized with harsh cleaning supplies and chemicals, such as bleach that your restaurant might sanitize multiple times a day with.
This is another reason that our restaurant partitions are highly praised; because of their superior strength and environmentally resistant surface. This makes working in a newly partitioned restaurant or café in Massachusetts easy to adapt to, while adhering to strict hygiene guidelines put in place by the state.
Bar Seating Arrangements Put in Place by Massachusetts Restaurant Guidelines
Although restaurants in Massachusetts still can’t seat customers at a bar area within their indoor or outdoor section, bar areas can, however, be configured to accommodate table seating that complies with all spacing and other requirements by the state.
This means that all customers must be seated when eating in a restaurant. Connect Partitions made sure to introduce restaurants to our bar top and countertop partitions. They are not only lightweight and easy to maneuver around high bar tops and countertops, but they’re transparent for clear visibility and highly customizable. We want restaurants here in Massachusetts to welcome when entering their table or bar seat. Our high grade, transparent material makes it easy to adapt to this new norm in the food industry.
Our bar top and countertop partitions are an easy way for restaurants here to maximize their indoor seating, as well as adhere to strict state guidelines. Like we mentioned before, our bar partitions are not enough alone to adhere to state guidelines; socially distancing bar seating at least six feet apart between parties is also required, even with plexiglass barriers in place.
Cleaning & Disinfecting Partitioned Restaurants
Once again, our partitions for restaurants are highly sanitizable, as well as easy to clean in between parties. Although they can stay clean and safe in between parties, we encourage restaurant staff to sanitize in between groups of people. This is also included in the state’s guidelines for phase three for restaurants.
We also coat our restaurant partitions in an AR MR coating, which means that one layer is anti reflective and one layer is a flash mirror. These work together to improve durability against sun damage and prevent scratching from harsh cleaning every hour or so. We understand that restaurants are doing the most to stay sanitized and hygiene friendly, which is why we created our plexiglass partitions from such a commercial grade material. This makes our partitions a super future friendly investment for any Massachusetts restaurants.
With the future being uncertain about social distancing, masks, and plexiglass partitions or barriers, our restaurant partitions are highly praised because of their superior strength and environmentally resistant surface. Restaurants can make the most out of their business with our plexiglass partitions, while adhering closely to strict state guidelines.
Keeping Staff Safe with Restaurant Partitions
Although plexiglass partitions are one of the easiest ways to reduce spacing between parties, one of restaurants’ biggest concerns is keeping their staff safe. All customer-facing workers, such as servers and bus staff, must reduce the time spent within feet of all customers. That’s one thing we can’t prevent unfortunately. Since customers in Massachusetts aren’t required to wear a face mask once seated, all restaurant staff are still required to. This decreases their chances of contracting germs, but it isn’t a guarantee.
Nobody wants to work under these stressful circumstances caused by the pandemic. Since the beginning of the coronavirus, Connect Partitions wants to make sure our highly durable products will not only benefit restaurants’ daily amount of customers, but every member of their staff that is put at risk during every shift.
Work Schedules Matter, Too
Staggering work schedules, such as staff meal and break times, can also reduce the spread of any airborne germs. Minimizing the use of confined spaces and making sure the maximum number of people in one place at a time is a great way to stop the spread, as well.
It’s a smart investment for restaurants here in Massachusetts to invest in plexiglass partitions for their staff, too. Although they’re not required for confined spaces for staff, it’s an easy way to reduce the spread of any germs for the people serving its daily customers.
Don’t Overlook the Obvious
Although our durable, yet lightweight, partitions can take care of stopping the spread of most germs, it’s always important for restaurants to test all their employees daily, making sure nobody has a fever. If an employee or staff member is sick, this can jeopardize a restaurant far past the pandemic itself.
Connect Partitions specializes in the craftsmanship of our partition products. Not only are they durable and able to keep your staff safe and protected through the typical day at work, but they’re easy to sanitize and say sanitized through that typical day at work, too. Once again, Connect Partitions is not guaranteeing that our products will combat any type of virus, but they certainly help germs from spreading any further. We are confident in our products’ hygiene friendly surfaces, stability and durability; the Massachusetts restaurant guidelines want to assure the safeness of customers and Connect Partitions wants to assure our restaurants that is possible with our partitions.
Future Updates for Restaurants & Social Distancing/Partitions
The new reopening phase 3 for restaurants was recently updated on August 10th, 2020, and was to take effect as of August 11th, 2020. Since these adjustments to Massachusetts’ restaurants are fairly new, Connect Partitions wants restaurants to keep in mind these new rules and regulations might be in place for months to come and possibly into next year.
Connect Partitions will continue to update restaurants across Massachusetts in regards to social distancing and plexiglass partitions guidelines for the dining industry.
Quick Delivery & Restaurant Floor Planning of Our Products
Connect Partitions offers expedited shipping for all restaurants in the United States. We specialize here in New England, especially Massachusetts, so delivery time is very short compared to other protective products for restaurants on the market.
Not only can restaurants start reopening their business quicker than expected, but when they receive our partitions ahead of schedule, they can assure that their reopening is smooth and seamless.
Connect Partitions also offers bulk order shipping. With the many restaurants located throughout Massachusetts, it can be hard for them to order just a few partitions when many are needed. If there is a chain restaurant or multiple dining areas that need to be furnished with plexiglass partitions, Connect Partitions offers bulk shipping options.
When restaurants order in bulk to save on their investment and stop spreading germs throughout their dining area, it gives all their customers and even employees the peace of mind they’ve been hoping for when they reopen for good.
Floor Plans
When restaurants across Massachusetts partner with Connect Partitions, we offer much more than just our custom built partitions. We also want to assure restaurants that our partitions will fit within their space, no matter the size, layout, or design of the seating area.
Connect Partitions will come out to the restaurant, café or bar, or any other type of public eating space to determine how many partitions will be needed throughout the space. We want their soon-to-be partitioned restaurant to look perfect, yet feel comfortable for their customers.
After our first step of determining how many of our plexiglass partitions will be needed, we will provide a review of the schematic layout that would work best for the common restaurant space. Since all restaurants offer a different type of layout, Connect Partitions wants to make sure that we maximize their table or bar top count, while adhering to important social distancing rules and regulations.
We always make sure that footpaths and walkways are cleared and unobstructed by our partitions. Connect Partitions also ensures that we are productive with where exactly each partition goes. For example, let’s say there’s a restaurant with 50 tables. Adhere to social distancing regulations alone would lose about 20% of those tables, which in turn hurts restaurant profitability at the end of the day. Connect Partitions specializes in our custom built, light weight, and thin partitions to ensure maximum efficiency. With our partitions as part of the layout, restaurants wouldn’t lose any of their tables and still be adhering to the state’s guidelines of keeping your customers and staff safe and protected. Our floorplan design service might be the best option for reopening restaurants to save big while maximizing their space with our partitions.
Disclosure Statement
Please check your official town, city, or state’s website (such as Massachusetts) for the most updated official information, as this web page is meant to help you but not be your final answer.
