Grizzly Dining continues to rapidly change based on the needs of the community and federal, state and local guidelines. Campus dining locations will be available in a manner that complies with existing CDC and Georgia Department of Health guidelines in place beginning Aug. 3, 2020, and continuing throughout the new year.
To meet these guidelines, GGC will have safety protocols and best practices in place using guidance from ServSafe and The National Restaurant and Georgia Restaurant Associations, which have worked with the latest state-issued executive order on how to re-open. This also includes recommendations from the FDA, the Georgia Department of Health and from all retail brands and our new food service provider, Aladdin. This layered approach will allow Grizzly Dining to resume operations that provides social distancing while allowing the service to continue. Diners may see a reimagined dining experience in terms of To-Go options, online ordering and contactless meal pick up. Additional Guidance can be found here (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/food-and-COVID-19.html).
Dining Hall and Retail Changes
To begin this Spring, students will have premade choices at each of the stations in the Dining Hall. These selections will be packaged in a variety of ways depending on your dining style with an emphasis on pre-prepared individual servings. Patrons will have the option to sit in the socially distanced layout of the dining hall or take their meals to go. All meals will be served with disposable cutlery kits and individualize condiments as needed. In addition, patrons will find labels on the floor to direct traffic through the Dining Hall.
FAQs:
With limited seating where can I eat?
- If all seats are taken, meals could be packaged-to-go so you have the flexibility to take meals out of the dining hall to eat where you prefer. You should ask for to-go before going to the stations to ensure you have the proper packaging.
- How does the all-you-care to eat style of the dining hall work if I am taking my food to-go?
- It is recommended that if you are not sitting in the dining hall, that you pick up meals from the stations you would like a meal from and take it to-go. You will have the opportunity to visit all stations, but note that your container is limited in size. If you utilize the contactless pick up option, you will have pre-selected limited options that restrict the all-you care-to-eat.
Who can I sit with?
- All tables in the dining hall have been equipped with sneeze guards to better socially distance. It is recommended that residents only sit with roommates at meal times per CDC recommendations, otherwise we recommend socially distancing in the dining halls. We recommend non-residents limit seating in the dining hall to residents with an emphasis on taking their meal to go.
How long can I stay and eat?
- It is recommended that you limit your time in the dining venues to 45 minutes to allow others time to eat during peak periods due to the reduced seating.
Can I move the tables and chairs around?
- No, the tables and chairs are there to ensure CDC and local guidelines regarding social distancing. You will be asked to return the item to its location. This will ensure that table service can continue.
Do I have to wear a face covering?
- The University System of Georgia requires all faculty, staff, students and visitors to wear an appropriate face covering while inside campus facilities/buildings where six feet social distancing may not always be possible. We ask that patrons wear the face covering while picking up food and only remove the mask once seated. When moving around the dining hall the face covering should be utilized again. More information regarding masks can be found here.
All Dining/Retail Location Changes
What are our policies, practices and guidelines regarding disinfecting surfaces in food service facilities?
- Follow all CDC guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting facilities found here (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html).
- Thoroughly detail-clean and sanitize entire facility, focus on high contact areas that would be touched by employees and guests
- Frequently disinfect surfaces repeatedly touched by employees or patrons such as door knobs, equipment handles, check-out counters, and grocery cart handles, etc.
- Avoid all food contact surfaces when using disinfectants
- Do not place items on tables such as condiments, dispensers on tables – provide these items in small packages rather than bottles, etc.
- Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, or eating utensils.
- Between seating’s, clean and sanitize tables
- Remove items such as unwrapped straws and other items from self-service drink stations
- Make sure hand sanitizer is readily available to guests
- Sneeze guards placed at bars and buffets where food is being served
- Dining staffing will be adjusted to adhere to cleaning schedules to be sure all proper cleaning protocols are followed.
- Provide hand sanitizer for guests to use
- If a dining patron starts to feel sick while in dining facility, the immediate response is to ask the patron to exit dining facility and self-isolate and make contact with health clinic on campus; follow all protocol for disinfecting and cleaning entire dining facility
- People who are sick, their roommates, and those who have higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 should eat or be fed in their room, if possible.
- Patrons should wash hands before and after handling food packages or eating.
What are our policies, practices and guidelines regarding social distancing in these facilities?
- Place a limit on number of individuals that can enter dining facility at a time determined by social distancing capacity; will still allow visitors/guests in dining facility
- Update floor plans for common dining areas, redesigning seating arrangements to ensure at least six feet of separation between table setups
- Limit table seating to no more than the established maximums approved as recommended by the CDC or approved by local/state government
- Post signage at the entrance of dining areas that states no one with a fever or symptoms of COVID-19 is to be permitted into dining area
- Limit contact between dining employees and students and always require dining employees to wear face coverings
- Place physical barriers such as partitions or Plexiglas barriers at registers/POS stations
- Post signs reminding students of about social distancing while moving about dining areas
- Try not to allow guests to congregate in dining areas that normally have high traffic while waiting for food – design a process to ensure guests stay separate while waiting to be served. This process can include floor markings, outdoor distancing, etc.
- Limit the number of employees at each food station/work station – employees should be staggered.
What are our policies, practices and guidelines for employees who staff these facilities?
- Per existing CDC requirements, employees who are sick should remain home.
- If an employee becomes ill or presents signs of illness, the operator should identify signs during a pre-work screening and follow the business’s established policies on when the ill employee is allowed to return to work. At a minimum, however, follow CDC guidelines – tell the employee to self-isolate for ten days from the onset of symptoms and be symptom-free for three days without medication.
- Pre-screening of tracking employees’ temperatures will be conducted
- Employees will be required to wear a mask
- Train all employees on the importance of hand washing and hand sanitizers; give instruction to avoid face touching hands to face.
- Use gloves to avoid bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.
- Stagger workstations and schedule to avoid high volumes of employees in one workspace.
- If an employee tests positive for COVID-19 and has worked in the dining facility the facility will be shut down and involve facilities on cleaning entire dining facility before reopening. A notice will be posted and patrons redirected.
What are some of the operational changes to be expected?
- All dining spaces will be configured and adjusted to comply with social distancing layouts and lines will be configured at each dining location with appropriate signage
- The main dining halls will have a floor markings with appropriate signage to direct traffic. We ask that patrons stay on designated paths.
- Serveware will have an emphasis on disposable including disposable boxes, to-go boxes, cutlery kits, and cups (with lids and straws)
- Self-service will be limited; all meals will be packaged by food service employees with gloves and masks on
- Stations will have a selection of premade choices. Custom items are limited at this time.
- Individual food items such as bakery items will be prepackaged for to-go only in dining halls
- No condiments on tables
- Patrons will be handed cups and patrons should ask for a new cup to utilize refills. No refills are allowed using the same cup.
- Self – serve coffee will limited
- Personal cups will not be allowed at fountain or coffee areas
- To-Go will be allowed from the Dining Hall, patrons continue to not be allowed to fill their own to-go containers.
- We are creating an online ordering app and will encourage contactless ordering a pick up once implemented.
- Patrons will find in the coming weeks that plexiglass is installed on tables. We ask you limit touching the plexiglass.