When the coronavirus pandemic shut down in-person activities across the world, restaurants were hit hard and had to pivot to new ways of doing business to stay afloat. ServSafe changed course along with them, providing free ServSafe Food Handler training and creating three new free online food safety courses:
- ServSafe Takeout: COVID-19 Precautions
- ServSafe Delivery: COVID-19 Precautions
- ServSafe Reopening Guidance: COVID-19 Precautions
Since April, more than 600,000 people have taken these courses, strengthening their food safety skills and knowledge, and ensuring that their restaurants are doing everything they can to keep guests and staff members safe during the pandemic. Here are a few of their stories:
Bar manager Kristine Curtiss and the entire staff of Bohemian Pizza in Litchfield, Connecticut, completed the Takeout, Delivery, and Reopening Guidance courses and prominently displays that information on their website homepage.
“We wanted everyone to partake in this opportunity to make sure that we were fully prepared and knowledgeable about the best ways we can assist in keeping both ourselves and our customers healthy,” said Curtiss. She noted that the courses were a refresher for staff members who were already following food safety best practices, while newer staff members received a concise introduction about their role in maintaining a high level of cleanliness and sanitation.
“Having everyone take the courses gives our customers some peace of mind to know that we took the time to learn more because we care about everyone’s safety,” said Curtiss. “When the economy stabilizes, we look forward to seeing more of our customers that we’ve missed so much.”
Kayla Vallejos, executive chef at Tractor Brewing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, knows the importance of continuous food safety education and training. She completed the ServSafe Manager course prior to the pandemic to increase her food safety knowledge and accurately train her staff. She has also completed the ServSafe Takeout and Delivery courses.
“I took these courses upon myself to be able to show the guests that we are taking extreme caution and committing 100% to food safety,” she stated.
Vallejos is also building her own private chef business where her ServSafe training will benefit her customers.
“When the economy is stable again, I am looking forward to building a business of my own and providing the best service possible with continued care of food safety and preparation,” she said.
Aspiring chef and Johnson & Wales graduate Danielle Holmes has been using the extra time she has during the pandemic to keep learning and growing professionally.
“I took the ServSafe Delivery and Takeout courses because I wanted to do my part by further educating myself on COVID-19 and having better safety practices,” she said. “Food safety and sanitation is a must, but with COVID-19 having those extra measures is necessary. These courses have helped me to adapt to the new changes in the food industry.”
As the economy begins to stabilize, Holmes looks forward to meeting and working with chefs with whom she has been networking through social media during the pandemic.
Have you completed ServSafe’s COVID-19 Precautions training? Share your story or show us your certificate on our social media channels: