State Amends Order to Allow Self-Service Buffets with Safety Requirements
An addendum to the Ohio Department of Health Order that Reopens Restaurants, Bars, Banquet and Catering Facilities and Services to Dine-in Service, with Exceptions (known as the Dine Safe Ohio Order) issued last night now “reopens self-service food stations in restaurants, bars, banquet and catering facilities, and services” according to an official announcement from the Governor.
The official updated language of the change made last night is available here.
The amended order would apply to most buffet operations in banquet and catering facilities for two reasons:
1) the Dine Safe Ohio Order specified that banquet and catering facilities were included in the provisions allowing the reopening of dine-in service (item 2, page 1) and
2) the official announcement from the Governor issued last night states, “This amended order, reopens self-service food stations in restaurants, bars, banquet and catering facilities, and services,” as long as conditions are met.
A different order impacting wedding receptions and funeral repasts is still in effect. See note below.
The conditions that allow reopening of self-service buffets are:
Customers must wear facial coverings while using self-service food stations or in line for self-service food stations. Those unable to wear a facial covering must be served by an employee.
Buffet tables/salad bars must be spaced a minimum of 6 feet away from customer seating/tables, and lines must not extend into seating areas.
Customer flow at buffet tables/salad bars must move in one direction with a beginning point and ending point, and customers must maintain at least 6 feet of social distancing while in line. Directional signage must be posted indicating where the customer line begins.
Hand sanitizer must be placed at self-serve food stations, including at the front of the line and end of the line of buffet tables/salad bars, and used by customers prior to, and after, serving themselves.
At least 6 feet of social distancing must be maintained between seated customers and customers in line for a buffet/salad bar and monitored by employees.
Serving utensils must be replaced or cleaned and sanitized at least hourly. It is recommended that customers use disposable napkins, tissues, wax paper, etc. when handling serving utensils, and operators of self-service food stations are encouraged to make them available. A trash receptacle should be conveniently located.
Use of individually packaged condiments is recommended instead of shared or bulk condiment dispensers.
Commonly touched surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized frequently.
While in operation, self-serve areas must be continually monitored by staff who are trained in food safety, including monitoring customer hand sanitizing practices at the self-service food station.
Food must be protected from contamination, including sneeze guards on self-serve equipment.
Signage must be placed at self-service food stations requiring customers to use hand sanitizer before and after serving themselves, and to maintain at least 6 feet of social distancing while in line. The signage should recommend that customers use disposable napkins, tissues, wax paper, etc., when handling serving utensils. (Contact OHLA if you would like assistance with sample signage.)
Restrictions on Wedding Receptions and Funeral Events
The addendum to the Dine Safe Order allowing self-service buffets renews a conflict with additional restrictions that were placed on wedding receptions, funeral repasts and other events in November. The Revised Order to Limit and/or Prohibit Mass Gatherings in the State of Ohio, with Exceptions, requires guests to be served at their seats, eliminating the practical use of even staff-served buffets. This order is still in effect.
On November 17, Governor DeWine stated in the official state COVID-19 briefing that this order “has to do of course with wedding receptions and funerals.” The Governor can be heard reinforcing this point in this on-demand recording of the announcement, at 07:33.
Because of the prior focus on wedding receptions and funeral events, and because the November order is still in effect, OHLA advises that banquet and catering operations should not yet apply the order allowing self-service buffets when serving wedding receptions or funeral repasts.
OHLA continues to discuss helpful changes to the conflicting orders with state officials and will issue further updates as they happen.
State of Ohio Lifts Curfew Order; Normal Hours of Service Apply for Alcohol
The statewide 11:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m. curfew order expired yesterday and will not be renewed at the present time. The curfew on individuals leaving their place of residence is no longer in effect.
The state was able to make the change because the reported number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has remained below 2,500 for more than seven days. Thursday was the tenth day below the required threshold announced by the Governor on January 26.
Impact on Alcohol Sales
An earlier order prohibiting the sale of alcohol for on-premises consumption after 10:00 p.m. had expired in November, shortly after the statewide curfew on individuals was put in place.
The Ohio Department of Commerce confirmed the expiration of OAR 4301:1-1-80, the liquor cut-off rule, in this document. It states, “Rule 80 went into effect on Friday, July 31, 2020 at 10 p.m. Rule 80 expires on November 29, 2020, unless it is rescinded by the Commission before that date.”
This means alcohol can be served according to the hours of operation in each business’ liquor permit. For most hotels, which generally operate with D5A liquor permits, that will mean 2:30 a.m.
The Governor has stated that as COVID-19 hospitalizations increase in the future, the curfew could be reinstituted.
OHLA, Ohio Travel Association and Tourism Economics Warn of Job Loss
As organizations representing Ohio’s travel economy businesses, the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association and the Ohio Travel Association are partnering to secure assistance for the most heavily impacted sector of our economy, while also pushing for steps to allow the reopening of travel and hospitality businesses.
Today, OTA and OHLA shared information to Ohio’s media outlets that more than a third of all Ohio jobs lost last year were in the travel and hospitality industry, and that the job losses continue.
Many businesses operating in this industry were among the first mandated to close and among the last permitted to open under Ohio Department of Health orders. Most are still operating under capacity limits and curfews that make it difficult to keep doors open and workers employed. Hotel meeting venues are only permitted to serve 300 guests, regardless of venue size and their ability to implement social distancing measures.
National economist Adam Sacks, President of Tourism Economics, explained the impact: “Travel has to be our focus for any economic recovery, because too much of the loss has been concentrated in travel and hospitality. Thirty-five percent (35%) of all the jobs lost in Ohio since February 2020 are in travel and hospitality, so there’s no way we get back to full recovery on an economic plane, until we get a recovery in travel. Until we get travel and hospitality back on its feet, there’s no way we get the Ohio economy back on its feet.”
