Eduardo Castillo, CEC, Executive Chef of San Antonio Country Club, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the club’s new policies and procedures for running at half-capacity.
Have you ever been satisfied with 50%? Imagine giving praise to a cook or dishwasher who is only doing half their work. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But today, 50% represents progress and a push forward. 50% is a good thing.
This past weekend, Texas opened to 50%. We were able to double our inside capabilities and fully open our outside dining to members. We are finally seeing reservation numbers resemble what we would have done in a Pre-COVID-19 world. Fortunately, we ran for 2 weeks at 25%, which gave us enough time to practice new procedures. It served as kind of a soft opening.
In order to continue to serve the membership at 50%, we have implemented several measures.
In the kitchen, our menus have been redesigned. (View our Dinner Menu here and our Lunch Menu here.) Each item is handled from beginning to end by one cook and we are limiting crossing on the back as much as possible. We are stopping and sanitizing every hour. We change all cutting boards, spray and sanitize all tables with sanitizer and reset stations. Gloves are mandatory for food contact of any kind and face masks must be worn in any area of the kitchen.
In the dining room, we have bare tables. There are no condiments, decorations or tablecloths. Members are directed to their table upon arrival and after they are seated, silverware rollups are set along with single use menus. Servers are wearing face coverings and gloves. Each server has one POS assigned to them during the shift. All condiments and dressing are in disposable containers, served upon request, same with butter, salt and pepper for which individual packets are now the norm.
During service, we have a dedicated runner to carry all food trays out of the kitchen. We have a dedicated steward to dismantle trays upon return, then each tray is washed and sanitized before reusing it. When members leave, tables and chairs are wiped and cleaned, then sanitized and left bare, we have not had to turn tables and do not envision doing so for the time being.
We continue to do carryout service. Orders are placed through the front desk before 3pm and picked up or delivered between 5 and 6 pm. Carryout has become more of a weekend service and has slowed down during the week. We also implemented two daily features and have returned some of the classic club nights with a twist. For example, our pasta buffet has become make your own pasta, for in-house dining and carryout, along with prime rib night. On Friday we will start a la carte fried chicken in the men’s grill, and single plates of wings and queso in lieu of Friday happy hour.
The pool operation has seen a large increase on food sales. What was focused on beverage for golfers and members over the last two months has now shifted. We are taking reservations to limit capacity and members need to call the day before for a 90-minute slot. Members have been very appreciative and respectful. Our experience so far has seen lots of drinks while they are here and a carryout push right before leaving.
For family meals, we still provide a lunch and dinner buffet. We have a dedicated person to clean the tables after each use, change the utensils every 30 minutes and are providing gloves to the staff to use while serving themselves. Departments are scheduling their lunch shifts to reduce the amount of people congregating at a given time. We also added to-go containers and plasticware for staff to take the meal with them if they feel the space is too crowded.
Over the last few weeks, activity levels have been increasing and members are feeling more comfortable coming to the club. We are requesting that anyone inside the building wear a face mask. Staff is also more comfortable. We still see some apprehension by a few team members, but the policies make them feel safer.
As we continue to move forward, we will listen carefully to what the membership wants and craves, and we will adapt our offerings. More than anything we are very aware that we are being watched with a closer eye. Everyone—servers, members and coworkers—looks to us to make sure we are following the guidelines we have shared and if we are following what we have said, by being consistent, flexible and adaptable, we will keep the member’s trust and have them coming back.
