Restaurant Hygiene Standards Should Remain High Even After the Pandemic Fades

Restaurants have always placed importance on hygiene. With local,
state, and federal guidelines, it was top of mind. However, the
pandemic shifted it into a new spotlight, one that diners care
more about. Talking about restaurant hygiene, The Main Course
host Barbara Castiglia welcomed Di Neal, Regional Marketing
Manager for Tork. Tork is a global provider of hygiene
products and services across many industries. 


“The industry faced significant difficulty in 2020 with many
restaurant closures. Many changed operations to meet customer
demands. Hygiene was always an important factor. Now, it’s pushed
to the forefront,” Neal commented. 


The shift in mindset happened to the operators and consumers.
Guests are now more aware of how the restaurant is keeping
everything clean and sanitized. “Customers are looking at things
like wiping down tables after every use and if their takeout is
in tamper-proof packaging,” Neal added. 


To quantify customers’ expectations, Neal spoke about
the Essentials Initiative Survey conducted by Tork’s
parent company Essity. 


“It’s a global study conducted every two years. We had over
15,000 respondents from the general public aged 16 to 85. It
reflects attitudes and behaviors around hygiene and health,” Neal
described. 


One key finding from the study should have operators on notice
not to let the guard down on hygiene. The study revealed that 60%
of consumers have higher hygiene expectations of restaurants.
That change is likely due to the pandemic and having greater
awareness around cleanliness in general. 


Neal also discussed technology’s role in hygiene, from online
ordering to QR codes replacing paper menus to software that
supports hygiene activities.