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Social Distancing Signage for Restaurants

SOCIAL DISTANCING SIGNS FOR RESTAURANTS

JANUARY 20, 2021| SpeedPro Towson

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Restaurants have faced some serious challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, many restaurants have found new ways to provide a safe and healthy environment for customers, all while continuing to market their business. If you’re looking for signs to help you promote social distancing or other procedures in your restaurant, SpeedPro is your source for all custom coronavirus signage. Let’s look at some signage types restaurants may need to help them promote a safe environment and keep customers informed.

BUSINESS UPDATES

During these unusual times, people may not know whether your restaurant is open. Especially if your business was closed temporarily, posting “Now Open” signage outside your restaurant is a smart way to get the word out that you’re no longer closed. “Now Open” signs can come in many different forms, including the following:

Signs can help you communicate with your customers, no matter what update you have to share. If your restaurant has been open only for take-out or drive-through services, be sure to post signs letting people know when your dining room has reopened. If your hours have changed, post those new hours. If you’re making changes to comply with state mandates or local ordinances, create signs to communicate this with your customers.

SOCIAL DISTANCING REMINDERS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges people in restaurants and other public spaces to maintain social distancing, also called physical distancing. This means people should stand 6 feet apart from anyone who isn’t from their household. Since in years past, people have not been used to this type of distancing, it can be easy to forget to stand 6 feet apart from others. That’s why many businesses, including restaurants, have posted signs to remind their customers.

Instead of defaulting to generic social distancing signage, create custom signs that align with your branding. Here are some ideas for the types of signs you should consider creating and where to place them:

  • Floor graphics: Floor graphics are a great option for social distancing signs since you can place them 6 feet apart on the floor and give customers a practical guide of where they should stand. Consider placing floor decals wherever people may congregate, such as in front of a host podium, in waiting areas or in lines to order.
  • Wall decals: Wall decals, which are easy to apply and remove as needed, can serve as general reminders for social distancing. Consider placing these in your dining area or on bathroom doors within diners’ sightlines to keep social distancing on their minds.
  • Window decals: window graphic on your front door or front window can be a good way to communicate your social distancing policy to diners before they enter your restaurant. A simple message like the following can be helpful: “[Restaurant Name] is committed to your safety. Please practice social distancing.”

The CDC has recommend that bars and restaurants change their layouts to keep customer parties 6 feet apart.

CLOSED SEATING

The CDC has recommended that bars and restaurants change their layouts in whatever way needed to keep customer parties 6 feet apart. This may mean removing tables and stools or chairs or marking every other table to let diners know they are not in use. That second option saves you from having to stack and store tables and chairs somewhere outside of your dining room, and it’s necessary for restaurants with booths or other types of fixed seating.

Two great options for marking tables as closed are decals and tabletop displays. Decals are two-dimensional which makes them a more subtle option that people will see once they get up to a table. If you’re creating decals to apply temporarily to closed tables, request an adhesive back that will peel off easily when the time comes.

Tabletop displays come in a variety of forms. They could be made from tented cardstock or could be a small banner attached to a retractable, telescopic or spring-back stand. These displays are lightweight and easy to move whenever needed. That can be helpful if you want to change which tables you have open and which are closed for disinfection purposes, for example.

DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE

Some businesses have to consider ways to alter the natural traffic patterns that occur in their facility to promote physical distancing. For example, counter-service restaurants may have to rework their line for ordering or their waiting area to pick up meals.

Especially if you have permanent stanchions for directing lines that you no longer want people to follow, you need some new and accurate directional signage. Post signs wherever needed to let people know where they should get in line, where they should wait to be seated or to pick up their food and whether they should take a particular route to their table or other areas. However you’re directing foot traffic patterns, you can use displays like floor decals and freestanding signs to help.

Restaurants with drive-throughs may be experiencing increased drive-through traffic during this time due to their dining room being closed or to people preferring to avoid public places. In this instance, you can also install outdoor directional signs to direct drive-through traffic. You may want to use this opportunity of people waiting in line to advertise new or featured menu items, as well. You can also use outdoor directional signs to direct customers to parking spots for take-out or curbside pickup.

TAKE-OUT AND DELIVERY SIGNAGE

As restaurants have been required or chosen to close their dining rooms, services like take-out and delivery have taken on more prominence. In a survey from June 2020, 87% of Americans said they want restaurants to continue offering services like curbside pickup that make it possible for them to avoid in-person visits. The CDC classifies drive-through, delivery, take-out and curbside pickup as the lowest risk options for foodservice.

If you’re offering any of these services, you want to make sure your community knows they can still enjoy some delicious food in a low- or no-contact way. Consider the following types of take-out signage and delivery signage:

  • Flags: Flags are eye-catching outdoor displays since they flutter with the breeze. Anchor them in the ground in front of your restaurant or in a base anywhere in your parking lot. Choose bright colors that match your branding and use minimal text to get the word out to anyone who drives or walks by. Simple phrases like “We Deliver” or “Open for Takeout” can be enough to get people’s attention and encourage them to take advantage of these services.
  • Window graphics: Use your storefront to advertise your take-out and delivery services with big, bold window graphics. Alongside information like your restaurant’s hours, advertise your pickup and delivery services and the website to visit or phone number to call. If you use a third-party delivery service, let customers know to look for your restaurant on the delivery app.
  • Vehicle wraps: Vehicle wraps are a must for delivery vehicles since they help them appear more professional and advertise your restaurant on the go. Everyone who passes one of your delivery vehicles on the road or sees one pull up to a neighbor’s house will think about the food you serve, and their stomach might start growling. You can create partial wraps or wraps that cover the entire delivery car. Either way, make sure your branding is prominent along with the phone number or website people can use to order.

CUSTOMIZED SOCIAL DISTANCING SIGNAGE FROM SPEEDPRO

SpeedPro can help you turn a challenging time and the need for new signage into a productive marketing opportunity. By creating custom social distancing signs, you can incorporate your branding and share messages with your community in a more personal way. SpeedPro is here to help with all your signage needs. We can even help you create touchless menus, the benefits of which go beyond hygiene.

Once you find your nearest SpeedPro studio, contact your local staff to discuss your needs, and they’ll help you through the process from start to finish with a fast turnaround time. Soon, your restaurant will be enhanced with all the information, directions and reminders you need to communicate with the public.

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SpeedPro Towson

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Marc Bouchard

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