MM Covid 19 Handbook

COVID-19 HANDBOOK

MISSION MARS 2020

C O V I D - 1 9 H A N D B O O K MI I S SI I O N M A R S 2 0 2 0

REVIEW GUIDE

THIS PAGE WILL NOT BE PRINTED:

Text highlighted in this colour should be considered

whether it is applicable to the re-opening of our

business i.e. should it be in the handbook

Text highlighted in this colour will not be in the final

guide but should be discussed as additional comms put

out

C O V I D - 1 9 H A N D B O O K M I S S I O N M A R S 2 0 2 0

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented and unlike any crisis we, as a

hospitality industry have had to face before. This is a manual on how we

are attempting to get on top of the situation, stay ahead of the curve

and come out the other end of it as a team with our values intact.

Prepare for criticism because no matter what you do, it will come. But

if you are doing what you believe in your heart of hearts is right, the

negativity tends not to pierce as deeply. We are conflicted every day

about whether we are doing the right thing by keeping the

restaurants open, even with the strictest protocols in

place we know we are exposing our teams and possibly being part of

the problem.

For now, we are living day to day, and every day that our team stays

healthy and the restaurants stay open is a win for us. If the situation

declines and government mandates a shutdown, we will be the first to

get behind it, but until then we have a duty to our 1000+ community,

many of whom have no financial buffer, to do everything we can to

keep the lights on in their homes, keep their kids enrolled in school and

a roof over their heads.

Syed Asim Hussain

Black Sheep Restaurants Co-founder

Replace with Text and image of Roy


CORE VALUES

FUN (VALUE) (POST COVID SENTENCE) (WORKING EXAMPLE)

AUTHENTIC

Reference to the

marketplace, we need to

be genuinely good

(product, service)

POTITIVE

INITIATIVE

NEIGHBOURGHLY

Value of relationships,

safety for colleagues,

deliveries and cleaners

treated with empathy,

extending our care


HYGIENE

Cleaning is essential in preventing any bacteria and viruses from laying dormant

on surfaces and equipment.

What to use?

• Frequent cleaning must be completed with a cleaner capable of killing SARS-

CoV-2.

• Disinfectant, sanitiser and hand wash must have a viricidal claim. If using

hand sanitisers, they must be over 70% alcohol content.

• Aggressive spray bottles of disinfectant on a surface should be avoided to

minimise the risk of spreading any virus. Use a soft spray or pouring

technique.

When to use?

• We will be implementing a bleeper system for handwashing, cleaning down

of surfaces and equipment every 20 minutes.

• Teams must be reminded this is not instead of, but in addition, to the regular

hand washing and cleaning completed as per normal procedures.

• Cleaning of surfaces must include all commonly touched areas; kitchen work

tops, tables, door handles, toilet doors, toilet flush handles, light switches,

keyboards, any phones in use (team phones must be shut away during

working time), delivery tablets, tills, all contact surfaces and kitchen utensils.

• The use of hand sanitisers or gloves in not recommended within the kitchen

(unless for single use i.e. picking up raw meat etc.), as nothing is as good as

rigorous hand washing procedures.

• For front of house areas we will be implementing hand sanitiser stations for

front of house and our guests / delivery drivers etc. which are placed at key

contact areas such as; doorways, entrances, collection points.


HYGIENE

How to use:

• Below is a guideline on how to use the permitted cleaning products correctly

and effectively.

INSERT INFO GRAM OF HOW TO SANITISE CORRECTLY – move to hygiene


UNIFORM

• You must travel to work in separate clothes to what they will be wearing

inside the site, this includes shoes.

• Front of house who do not wear a specific uniform should carry separate

clothing into work in a sealed bag (backpack etc.) to change into upon

entering the site.

• All kitchen team uniform will be laundered by professionals.

Or

• Kitchen team: Please ensure you follow the following disinfection guidelines

when cleaning (thermal process 1: 85oC for 15 minutes 2: 90oC for 10 or 3:

70oC for 25 minutes).

• You must change into uniform immediately upon entering the site and store

your travelling clothes in a separate area to clean items, to avoid any cross

contamination.

• Any personal belongings, including phones, should be stored away and not

brought into the normal working environment. We recommend placing these

in a Tupperware box which is stored in the locked office for the shift. If

required whilst on shift, then these items must be fully sanitised before using.

• Once the shift is finished, uniform should be removed, and clothes used for

travel placed back on for leaving.

STAFF ROOM AND OFFICES

Add detail in terms of cleaning these areas and that items will be disposed of.

Lockers empty etc.


HEALTH

• Anyone with a fever or other COVID-19 symptoms will be unable to work and

will therefore be sent home.

• We will ask all team members to sign a health declaration and to adhere to

the terms within. Please see this in appendix. Insert hyperlink

• We encourage our team to prepare for the worst and find out where their

nearest hospitals or clinics testing for and treating the virus near you.

• We strongly discourage travel out of the country for the moment. Please be

reminded that, if you do choose to do this, you must inform your general

manager and will then be required to self-isolate for a minimum of 14 days

• We will be investing in contactless thermometers and enforce daily,

mandatory temperature checks for the team upon arrival. We will be

extending this to anyone who visits our venues and will have deliveries left

outside wherever possible.

USE OF MASKS

• When considering use of masks, we currently recommend following the

WHO and PHE guidelines which states masks are only for use by health

care workers.

• Although there is currently no robust scientific evidence that a general

public mask blocks the virus, we understand the psychological safety net

they can bring.

• If worn and used incorrectly, masks can become a source of infection.

Therefore, if you choose to wear one, we recommend doing so with strict

instructions on how to put on, how to wear and how to dispose of them.

• It is encouraged that all team members to watch this video before

beginning use. It should also be made clear that if wearing a mask into

work, then this is changed when arriving at work for a fresh mask.

• There is a poster on mask use within the appendices. This will also be

displayed in the BOH areas of our venues. (insert hyperlink)


WITH GUESTS

• Waiting on exec team guidelines

Possible Examples:

1. Guest declaration form (?)

2. Guest temperature checks (?)

3. What to do if you spot a symptomatic guest

4. What to do if guests are not following guidance


THE RESTAURANT

Areas to consider, what will it look like:

• Outside queue management (virtual or physical)

• Queuing at the bar?

• One-way systems (toilets, cloak rooms)

• INSERT COVID STEPS OF SERVICE

• Add SOS down the left-hand side. Discuss how do these change in the new

world


THE RESTAURANT 2.0

When the Government lifts restrictions and sites are then allowed to begin to

re-open, certain controls will be required to be in place. As more information is

provided by the Government on how the country should operate for the

foreseeable future, we shall update our guidance and create a formal policy on

eat-in for our clients, which will be assured by our Primary Authority.

In the meantime, please familiarise yourself with the guidelines below:

• Customer seating separated by 2m ² distances

• Potentially creating a ‘collection table’ for customers to collect orders

from to take to their own table

• Removing all condiments, table signs etc. from tables, if required; sanitise

between uses and replace

• Replace all items on table between each customer; napkins, cutlery,

menus

• Recyclable paper menus may be temporarily be introduced to prevent

sharing, or a large menu that can be read from different tables to avoid

wastage of single use menus

• Any re-fill cutlery or condiment stations will be removed from use

• 20-minute sanitisation reminders will be in place of any customer contact

areas such as drinks machines, toilet doors

• Ensure clear routes to and from each table from the entrance and for

customers to use toilets

• Place a lock or sign on toilets to ensure only one person uses them at a

time, with a clearly marked out queuing system following social distancing

guidelines

• Designate and mark out a queuing area and host to co-ordinate for tables

when busy

• Run all glasses, plates and cutlery through dishwasher at end of night or

first thing in morning regardless of whether they have been used.

• Follow the ‘family unit’ rule where possible


TEAMWORK

Organisation

• At sites which have larger teams, it may be that you are split into sub-teams i.e.

A and B. It will be scheduled so that the As and the Bs do not interact in-person,

in or outside of work. This limits the impact so if someone on the As becomes ill

and the rest of the As need to self-isolate, hopefully, the Bs can continue to

work

• If you are split into a specific team, we will try and consider any personal

relationships within the teams i.e. if we know team members are dating, sharing

an apartment etc. you will be put them in the same group.

• If you are a team member who travels between sites please find a way of

eliminating or at least severely limiting this. As the proximity of many of our

restaurants is close, we have traditionally shared a lot of resources but in times

like this, it will need to change. We need to consider the impact of a that

individual becoming ill and having to close every restaurant you have visited...

Where possible, zoom is your new best friend!

Attitude and flexibility

• Once we re-open, we’ll need to ensure we are working as efficiently as possible.

As a result, there may be some temporary changes we will need to make, such

as :

o

Asking you to carry out duties you previously wouldn’t have done, such as

running food or glass collecting. This applies to all employees at Mission

Mars.

• It is also likely we will not be able to honour pre-existing set shift schedules for

some time and will require you to demonstrate a level of flexibility with shift

patterns.

• In addition to these temporary changes, it is more important that ever that we

uphold our high standards across the business; including:

o

o

o

Positivity – making sure you are arriving to work with a good mindset,

ready to deliver great service

Punctuality – ensuring you are ready on your section at the time stated on

your rota

Presentation – looking smart and professional, in correct uniform and with

the correct tools


DELIVERY/TAKEAWAY

• We will be operating delivery and takeaway from our Rudy’s Restaurants

• We are operating a contactless pick up system

• If your site is using a delivery service, we will implement contactless pickup

from your restaurant. Do not have riders come into the restaurants.

• There should be an external hand and bag sanitizing station available

outside the premises

• We do not offer the entire menu for delivery/takeaway. Please familiarise

yourself with the offer at your site

MENUS AND PRODUCTS

While there is so much unknown, we have tried to follow what feel are the

most common-sense practices in order to sustain our business.

• We will be re-opening with reduced menus to ease the cost of food and

drink and there for wastage

• We will reduce or remove specials and lower selling items. Guests have

been advised on our reduced menu online.

• We will work with suppliers to ensure quality and freshness of product and

produce.

• Please famliarise yourself with the new menu, products and operating

hours at your site


EFFICIENCIES

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

ENERGY

Energy can be costly and now

is the time to use OUR energy

to look after the planet and

reduce costs that can be

avoided.

• Switching off fridge lights

at the end of service or on

bars that aren’t open.

• Turning off lights when

you leave a room.

• Switching off kitchen

equipment that isn’t in

use.

• Do not leave taps running.

CONSUMABLES

We need to adopt different

behaviours and this includes

using every part of our

consumables and avoiding

overuse and waste.

• If we have unused Napkins

these can be used rather

than thrown away.

• Be sensible with blue roll –

use bar clothes where

possible.

• Use sensible condiment

amounts and avoid over

portioning.

• Fill bin bags to the brim.

• Reusing beer mats where

possible without

compromising the guest

experience.

EQUIPMENT

Some of our equipment can

be very costly and as trade

will be slow we need to be

cautious with what we use.

• Put items back where you

got them, it saves on

wasted journeys and helps

your team.

• PDQs/Tills are very costly –

ensure we are taking care

and following correct use.

• Cleaning equipment and

putting it back where it

came from will avoid

damages and keep it

looked after.


EFFICIENCIES 2.0

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

STOCK

Food and Drink are our core

products and making sure we

are keeping them as accurate

as possible to spec and

minimising wastage will not

only ensure our guests are

receiving the products they

have ordered, but also

reducing any unneeded

waste.

• Keeping food portions

measure to spec.

• Keeping pouring on spirits

accurate.

• Pouring beers properly to

reduce any overpour.

• Using FIFO to ensure

products aren’t going out

of date.

• Accurately checking

deliveries.

• Preparing the right amount

of fruits, juices and purees

to minimise wastage.

• Repeating/ double

checking orders as per

steps of service.

REFUSE

Waste can be costly if not

managed correctly – this

means utilizing all our waste

tools to ensure we are not

only keeping in line with our

providers guidelines but are

reducing any additional costs

that could arise from poor

practices.

• Separating waste.

• Flattening all boxes.

• Recycling where possible.

DISCOUNTING

As a company we want to still

ensure our team are enjoying

privileges – in these times,

that won’t change but we

want to realign the policy to

get the best output for the

team that is fair but also

supports the business

through this difficult time..

• Policy change – 50% off for

your site only.

• 100% compliance to the MM

staff card process from

both user and recipient.


COMMUNICATIONS

• Yapster is our main communication platform.

• You should check Yapster before you come in to work i.e. your site group

and the main news feed. This is where you will find out latest news on site

specific information and company wide updates

• If you experience any issues with your personal Yapster account or have

not yet activated your account, please inform your General Manager

GUEST RELATIONS

Guests will be frustrated, stressed and scared. This often manifests as anger

towards us but it’s important to stay empathetic in the face of emotional

responses.

• We will inform all guests that they should not visit us if they have either

tested positive for covid-19 or have symptoms. If you feel a guest is

displaying symptoms, please inform the Duty Manager.

• We will update our booking policies and procedures

• What about deposits?

• Responding to covid related feedback?

• Remember that as a restaurant group we are not qualified to give medical

advice or advise on next steps for guests. Always direct them to the

appropriate government website for further advice and protocol.


EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

FOR EXEX TEAM TO DISCUSS:

Prepare templates of comms for various scenarios that you can adapt quickly

and use across all platforms (see below for samples).

If you do find yourself dealing with a situation where someone on your

premises has COVID-19, over-communicate with the public. It is better to

bombard them with updates and share the information that you have across

all your platforms than to appear to be hiding anything.

If you have any negative responses to your comms on public platforms, do

not delete them. In a crisis, people want all the information and any kind of

censorship is very upsetting. If it is valid, take it offline. If it is trolling, just

ignore.

Determine your media strategy. We prefer good news to reach our guests

from the press, but bad news should come from us. We are fortunate to have

a big database and good engagement on our social media so we did not feel

the need to send a press release about the temporary closure of our

restaurant (if everyone already knows it then it is not newsworthy). But

prepare holding statements to give to media, especially if your press-facing

representatives are operations-focused, the chances are they will be too busy

handling the crisis to chat to journalists. But ‘declined to comment’ or ‘has

not responded’ also can read as though you are hiding something so prepare

to answer press enquiries with at least a one-liner.

Useful: Be sensitive to the mood of the city. If your restaurants are open, look

carefully at all the comms you are putting out. Triple check everything going

on social; captions that were harmless a few months ago (e.g. How good does

this <dish> look? What are you waiting for?!) are suddenly a minefield.


INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

This is never more important than in a crisis. As with external comms, keep

communication lines open and transparent, everyone fears the unknown and

there is so much unknown at the moment, so sharing is crucial.

Where possible have your internal messaging go out before your external

messaging. It is never preferable for guests to have more information than

your team members.

Do whatever it takes to make your team understand that there is no shame

around COVID-19 and that they will never be penalised for communicating

with you. Sample messaging we sent out:

Right now we cannot stress enough how important it is to keep us updated

around anything to do with the virus that is happening in your personal life:

• Someone in your apartment building tests positive – let us know.

• Someone you live with may have been exposed at their place of work – let

us know. You or your partner experience even mild symptoms – let us

know.

• We will never be upset if you communicate with us. There is NO stigma

•

around having this virus, we will not make your identity known to the

wider team but we do need to be able to get you and your immediate

colleagues the tests and the help that you need.

Although we are doing everything we can to avoid redundancies, we have

had to implement some unpaid leave and pay cuts. As we do not know

if/when the business will come back, we created a document that reminds

our teams of the importance of health but b) also the importance of

managing their finances. If there are team members who may struggle in the

local language, check in with them and see if they need help negotiating

rental reductions with their landlords or filling out government aid forms etc.

Get

•

a full buy-in from the team around all of the hygiene and health

protocols. We created signage for back-of-house areas across all the

restaurants to remind everyone daily.

If you have the capacity, try and provide some morale-boosting gestures. We

were able work with a supplier to get a large batch of oranges so we are

making immune-boosting juice shots for the teams and we are currently in

the planning stages of our first Black Sheep Social Distancing Olympics!


THE ROAD AHEAD

It is important to stay optimistic but also realistic about the future. It is going

to be a long time (if ever) that the restaurant landscape looks the way it used

to.

Adaptation has always been the key to survival and if you are a small

organisation this is easier for you, so maximise your strengths. What you lack

in resources you can make up for in agility. If you are bigger and traditionally

have many layers of approval to push decisions through, consider even a

temporary restructure that allows you to be swift and use your resources to

get creative.

In adversity there is always opportunity, to learn, to grow and to do things

differently. Here in Hong Kong, we know that the dining scene is going to look

very different when the dust settles. Since last summer, thousands of

restaurants have already closed permanently. If we make it through this (and

we will), while there will be less competition in the market, our guests will

also have fewer expendable cash. We need to consider what the ‘new normal’

will look like and how we can best cater to this new face of diners.

We wish all of you in the industry good luck and good health and if there is

anything you want to ask us, please do reach out and we will do our best to

help.


APPENDIX

COVID-19 Specific Visitor and Employee Health Questionnaire

The safety of our employees, supplier partners, customers, families and visitors remain our overriding priority. As the Coronavirus

disease (COVID-19) outbreak continues to evolve and spreads globally, we are monitoring the situation closely and will

periodically update company guidance based on current recommendations from the UK Government and the World Health

Organization.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the potential risk of exposure to our workforce and visitors, we are conducting a

simple screening questionnaire. Only business critical visitors are permitted at our site at this time. Where a business is currently

closed, all team members including Management should complete this form prior to re-commencing work.

This questionnaire only covers COVID-19 and should not be used to cover other suspected illness symptoms, such as vomiting

and diarrhoea. A normal return to work questionnaire should be used for any normal fitness to work concerns, such as vomiting

or diarrhoea.

Health and welfare

Have you experienced of the following

cold or flu-like symptoms in the last 14

days?

Fever

Cough

Sore Throat

Respiratory Illness

Difficulty Breathing

Yes

No

If yes, when did you last

experience symptoms?

If yes, have you selfisolated

for 7 days?

Positive COVID19 test result indicating

Test date:

that you had the virus at the time of

testing

Any persons who have experienced any cold or flu-like symptoms in the last 14 days (to include fever, cough, sore throat,

respiratory illness, difficulty breathing) should be denied access. They may return once they have self-isolated for 7 days, free

from symptoms. Please then complete another medical form and store with this one.

Caring for and living with others

Have you had close contact with, or cared for,

someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or suspected

COVID-19 within the last 14 days

Yes

No

If yes, when did you last have

contact with them?

Any persons who have had close contact with or cared for someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 should be

denied access – they may return once they have self-isolated for 14 days, free from symptoms. Please then complete another

medical form and store with this one.

Overseas travel

Have you been abroad in the last 28 days? If yes,

please indicate when your self-isolation period

began

Have your housemates been abroad in the last 28

days? If yes, please indicate when your selfisolation

period began

Yes

No

If yes, when did your selfisolation

begin

Any persons who have been overseas or in contact with someone who has been overseas should self-isolate for 14 days and

only attend work once they have been clear of symptoms for 14 days. Please then complete another medical form and store

with this one.

Approved to return to

work (circle one)

Employee / Visitor Signature

Manager Signature:

Yes

Date:

Date:

No


APPENDIX

Masks – how to put on, use, take off and dispose of correctly

1. Before putting on your

mask, clean hands with

anti- bacterial soap and

water. Ensuring that

washing lasts for at least

20 seconds.

2. Tie behind your head,

avoid touching the front.

Cover mouth and nose

with mask and make

sure there are no gaps

between your face and

the mask. Do not fit

masks for others.

3. Avoid touching the

mask whilst using it. If

you do, wash hands

with soap and water.

4. Replace the mask with

a new one as soon as it

becomes damp. Dispose

of used masks in a lidded,

lined bin and do not reuse

masks.

5. To remove your mask,

do so from behind. Do

not touch the front of

the mask. Discard

immediately in closed

bin, wash hands with

soap and water.


APPENDIX

LIFE HACKS PAGE 1


APPENDIX

LIFE HACKS PAGE 2

Add in government guidelines links


MM Covid 19 Handbook

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