Pubs prepare to welcome back customers
OAKMAN Inns, whose chain of pubs includes The Navigation beside the Grand Union Canal at Thrupp Wharf near Cosgrove, has been busy preparing for a possible reopening on July 4.
The senior team at Oakman Inns has been exploring the changes and precautions that may need to be made including, where possible, a one-way system to manage entry and exit from the venues.
Hand sanitiser stations will remain in place and guests will be encouraged to make use of these regularly throughout their visit.
Initially, all service for food and drink will be provided at the table and as such, guests will be unable to buy drinks at the bar. Oakman Inns has also been working to launch new systems such as mobile apps for customers to place their orders through.
It will also introduce new, disposable menus and teams will only be laying the table once the customer is seated. To maintain social distancing measures, the number of tables will be reduced and where necessary physical barriers could be placed between tables.
In the kitchens, staff will be working in sections and using suitable PPE to prepare and cook meals in a safe manner.
Garden spaces will be used for customers to enjoy food and drink outside, weather permitting.
Before reopening, teams will be provided with the relevant training and guidance to be able to work confidently with these new measures and operations in place.
Each Oakman Inns pub will have its own requirements for introducing such measures, and these will be adapted to ensure they are suitable for the venue and implemented in a way that is effective.
A spokesman said: “We would like to assure you that when the time comes for us to reopen our doors, our priority will be the safety of both our staff and our customers. We would like to thank everyone for all the support they have shown not only us, but the local communities which we are fortunate to be a part of over the recent weeks.”