CHICAGO, Ill. – McDonald’s has unveiled the additional safety measures that its restaurants must put in place before reopening their dining rooms.
While about 99% of the fast-food chain’s locations have remained open using drive-thrus, carry-out and McDelivery, customers haven’t been able to dine inside the restaurants amid the coronavirus pandemic.
As cities and states begin to ease COVID-19 restrictions, McDonald’s is preparing to open its dining rooms back up, but things will be a little different.
The company said Wednesday that restaurants must close some seating and tables to accommodate for social distancing. High touch surfaces must be cleaned more frequently. Play areas must remain closed. Beverage stations must be modified to minimize contact. And, crew members must wear face coverings and gloves.
These requirements are in addition to what is in place at many restaurants, including wellness checks, social distancing floor stickers, and protective barriers at order points.
“These will serve as a set of nationwide standards for operations across all 14,000 U.S. McDonald’s locations,” wrote McDonald’s President Joe Erlinger. “All restaurants must implement these standards, in addition to state and local laws, before reopening a dining room.”
Based on guidance from the CDC and other public health authorities, McDonald’s says it will make reopening decisions that are right for local communities and help ensure restaurant crews and customers feel safe and welcome.
“As our daily routines continue to evolve, we remain committed to safely serving you and our local neighborhoods around the country,” wrote Erlinger. “We look forward to welcoming you back into our dining rooms, when the timing is right and with these extra precautions in place.”