After the national government allowed the reopening of food establishments early this week, fast food chains in the Philippines intensified the implementation of safety measures in their operations amid the pandemic.
Restaurants are allowed to reopen their dine-in services at 30% of their seating capacity, with strict hygiene and social distancing measures in place.
Restaurants are allowed to re-open their dine-in services at 30% of their seating capacity, with strict hygiene and social distancing measures a must.
READ: As economy slumps, Philippines lets eateries reopen to recoup job losses
Jollibee, the country’ top fast food chain, said it reopened its stores and resumed dine-in services in select areas. Its fellow chains McDonald’s and KFC likewise announced its reopening.
In compliance with the government’s COVID-19 health guidelines, fast food chains are requiring their employees to undergo a temperature check prior to entry.
“Customers go through a 3-step safety check before entering the store: one – stepping on disinfectant mats; two – strict wearing of face masks and three – checking of temperature,” Jollibee said.
Under the stringent safety measures of these food chains, all employees are required to wear full protective gear, observe physical distancing and practice regular handwashing and sanitation.
McDonald’s Philippines said it is also mandating its store members to answer the daily health check during their shifts. They are also given a health kit that includes alcohol, Vitamin C and face masks.
Jollibee also said it provided its employees with vitamin supplements to boost their immune system and telemedicine to attend to their health needs.
The stores of these food chains have adapted to the “new normal.”
They are undergoing “intensive cleaning and sanitation before, during and after business operations.” This includes the fixtures and utensils.
For Jollibee, door handles and other store fixtures and surfaces are disinfected every 30 minutes.
On the other hand, stores with self-order kiosks or SOKs are also being sanitized before and after use.
The establishments have also installed counter guards as well as table partitions to maintain physical distancing among its patrons and to safeguard customers and cashiers during the order taking.
They have also placed floor markers, table markers and seat markers “so customers are consistently guided to maintain at least 1-meter distance when queuing and 2-meter distance for dine-in.”
KFC, for its part, said it is using foot baths to keep its floors sanitized.
It also designated a “hygiene captain” to check if the measures are being followed.
Jollibee also assigned “Alagang Jollibee Hygiene Ambassadors” to maintain health measures in place.
All of these food establishments assured the public that stricter safety protocols also apply on food preparation and handling.
Meanwhile, KFC recently launched its official branch in Animal Crossing: New Horizons to also strengthen its virtual presence.
This week, they released a video where Virtual Colonel Sanders gave a tour of its Animal Crossing branch.
