Safely Hosting Private Parties at Your Hotel or Restaurant

Summer 2020 is upon us, and during these hotter months, individuals tend to throw more parties. Whether it be for a wedding reception or a barbeque, summertime is a time to relax and spend with friends and family.

If your hotel or restaurant felt the harsh effects of the economic downturn, you may be considering ways to bring in new business. Private parties and events are two sources of revenue to think about for the upcoming summer months.

We have compiled a list of tips and guidelines on how your hotel or restaurant can safely host private parties this summer. Let’s take a look.

Safety precautions

Before hosting any event, you must implement health and safety precautions. Here are a few considerations:

• Train your employees on COVID-19 health and safety, recommended by the CDC. 
• Provide your employees with PPE, including masks and gloves, to use during the private party or event. Make the PPE use mandatory, and have your staff change their PPE every 30 minutes during the party or event.
• Install sanitization stations throughout the front of the house and the back of the house. 
• Don’t reuse service trays during the party or event.
• Limit the serving of food to just the catering staff.
• Increase sanitization efforts daily. Schedule a deep cleaning at least once a week.

Food serving safety

The handling of food is a top priority for health and safety. Your guests should feel comfortable eating at your restaurant. They will be paying close attention to the handling of their food. Here are a few different ways to serve food safely:

• If using a buffet-style, enforce a one-way system with 6 feet apart service between guests and staff. The catering staff should serve all food. Avoid self-service.
• If serving the guests at their tables, place meals on individual plates, served by catering staff.
• For the bar, set up 6 feet of distance for guests to stand on the line when waiting to order a drink. Another option is to make premade cocktails in mason jars, passed out to guests on a tray.

Host a virtual tour

Many people prefer to tour the property before hosting a party or event there. While people continue to socially distance, a great way to show your event space to interested parties is through a virtual tour.

Host multiple virtual tours for your guests to watch. Start the virtual tour off as if it were in person. If you’re a restaurant, open your front door to the dining room. If you’re a hotel, open the door to your lobby. From there, virtually lead your guests through the space. People love visuals, and videos are much more enticing and engaging than photos.

Final thoughts

Begin to think of new and innovative ways to bring new business to your hotel or restaurant. Take advantage of the summer months by hosting private parties or events at low capacities based on the city’s capacity rules and restrictions. Finally, always remember that your guests’ health and safety is your top priority, especially when hosting an event.