Why SOPs At Restaurants Seem To Never Be The Same
Customers don’t want to be caught breaking SOP, well neither do restaurants.


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Recently, local burger joint myBurgerLab shared a disheartening message of an angry customer who demanded to sit with their family despite current SOP.
The public can now travel together in the same car if they are from the same household, so naturally most will assume that it should be fine to eat together.
However, that’s not the case, which can draw ire for those who have been looking forward to have a meal together.
Confusion all around
According to another local restaurant owner who wishes to remain anonymous, there are no clear communications from the government that reaches F&B operators directly.
Instead, they must rely on “official” directives from news outlets, which are often vague, and through word-of-mouth from other F&B operators, customers, and even social media.

(Credit: TRP)
This means that if there are changes to the guidelines and SOP, not everyone is notified and updated, which could lead to confusion between operators and customers.
Additionally, changes announced during press conferences by the government are not reflected in their official guidelines until some time later, which further adds to the confusion.
Where to go for information
Yet, there actually is a concise website for SOP guidelines during this time for all industries available on the Majlis Keselamatan Negara website.
The guidelines for F&B restaurants and outlets are updated regularly, with the latest version updated on 6 August.
On it, there are guidelines for social distancing, such as keeping tables 2 meters apart with a space in between seats of the same table.
Restaurant operators and even the general public should take note of required SOPs to make the current RMCO period easier on everyone. With constant vigilance, we may be able to return to business as usual faster.
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Anne is an advocate of sustainable living and the circular economy, and has managed to mum-nag the team into using reusable containers to tapau food. She is also a proud parent of 4 cats and 1 rabbit.