As lockdown restrictions ease and we can once again relax in cafes with a comforting hot drink, it is integral that coffee shops adhere to social distancing rules.
As a leading coffee shop franchise in the UK, you may be wondering how Esquires Coffee is ensuring social distancing requirements are being met. You will be relieved to know we are dedicated to providing safe and reliable environments for all employees and customers. To achieve this, we have created a thorough plan to ensure enjoying your Esquire’s coffee is a quick and easy experience and most importantly, incredibly safe.
Covid-19 Risk Assessments
Firstly, before the re-opening of our coffee shops, all Esquire’s stores completed a thorough risk assessment. This took into consideration and planned how staff and customers could safely move around each premises while remaining sufficiently socially distant, as well as organised where sanitising stations should be placed amongst other hygiene procedures which this article will later explain.
Our Staff
It is integral to us that our staff are looked after and are working in environments with the highest levels of health and safety protections. We are dedicated to installing a healthy outlook on hygiene procedures across our stores which will encourage our customers to reflect this upon arrival.
You may notice that our baristas and coffee shop staff have adopted back to back or side to side working where they can. This is so any face to face serving can be minimised where possible for everyone’s protection.
We have provided training across our teams to implement a high level of awareness about hygiene procedures.
Social Distancing in Our Shops
With government regulation continually developing on the required distance between person to person, we want to ensure our customers are as safe as possible. Therefore, our coffee shops will maintain a social distancing rule of 2 metres between individuals. This will be supported unless:
- There is back to back seating or,
- Screens are in place for non-back to back seating or,
- A two metre distance cannot be maintained at hand sanitation stations at entrances.
We have also introduced the following restrictions to ensure customer safety:
- A maximum occupancy to each coffee shop
- A maximum stay of two hours
Seating
People will be seated at a maximum of six people from two households to a table. To be seated in one of our coffee shops, a Track and Trace system needs to be followed in order to abide by government guidelines. Those who reserve seating will also be prioritised over those who would like to walk in and sit.
Track and Trace
To complete this, we have introduced a Track and Trace system through our Loyalty app. Please download our Esquires Coffee app, fill in your details and scan the app to record your visit. You will also gain loyalty credit when using it!
Contactless Payment
To reduce contact between customers and staff, we also encourage the use of contactless cards for all payments or the use of our app as previously touched upon.
Screens
As previously highlighted, we have created safe spaces with revisions in the layout of many of our stores. To ensure customers are sufficiently spaced apart we have introduced the use of screens and barriers.
One Way System
Our coffee shops have also adopted one way systems for entry and exits to the premises. This is to stop people interacting too closely in smaller spaces, such as doorways.
Cleaning Procedures
On top of our thorough cleaning procedures, our customer areas will be cleaned every 20 minutes at a minimum. A key focus of this cleaning procedure will be to ensure touchpoints are regularly cleaned. There will also be additional cleaning procedures behind the scenes to protect our staff, such as the cleaning of deliveries upon arrival.
Hand Washing and Sanitising
As you should expect, all our stores provide customers with adequate hand washing and sanitising stations which will be enforced through instruction on arrival as well as signs and posters across our stores.
You may also notice that our staff are wearing gloves while continuing to wash and sanitise their hands even if wearing gloves.
Disposable Condiments and Cutlery
During social distancing, it is integral that shared items are touched as little as possible by multiple people. To decrease this, we will use disposable condiments and cutlery where possible.
Windows
Furthermore, to ensure fresh air flow in our coffee shops, windows will also be opened, where possible, for extra caution and table service will be used when feasible.
What drink are you most looking forward to having on your next visit? Why not let us know on our social media channels? We can’t wait to see you soon!
