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Signs and Graphics Guide for Reopening Restaurants and Retail

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After a year spent ordering dinners to-go and relying on the postal service for retail therapy, it’s finally time for customers to head back to their favorite retailers and restaurants in-person – are your signs and graphics updated to reflect changes while you are fully reopening?

While welcoming customers back is exciting, it’s important to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding COVID-19 guidelines. Clear, consistent messaging sets a professional and reassuring tone, so customers know what to expect, and employees feel empowered to reinforce health regulations.

It doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated to reopen your business. Use clearly posted and accessible signs and graphics to guide customers through their experience. A few well-placed reminders make all the difference in keeping your business safe and running smoothly.

Signs and Graphics for Reopening Restaurants and Retail

Exterior Signs and Graphics

Communication about COVID-19 policies starts before your customer walks in the door. Exterior signs on windows or doors alert customers to company policies and minimize your need to reiterate rules.

  • Mask Mandates ­– If your business requires customers to wear masks, clearly post relevant information outside the entrance. This way, clients have the opportunity to “mask-up” before coming inside. Specify which masks are acceptable and clarify the appropriate way to cover your nose and mouth for maximum efficacy.
  • Health and Safety Overviews – Let your customers know how you are preventing the spread of COVID-19. Outline handwashing rules, social distancing protocols, and low-contact business practices. Providing this information up-front is reassuring and empowers customers to make an informed decision about entering your establishment.

Floor Decals

Dealing with a cramped environment? Unsure how to enforce proper social distancing? Floor decals indicate socially-distant spacing in a non-obtrusive, yet visible, way.

  • Queue Guidelines – We’ve all dined at a restaurant that has a line out the door during the lunch rush or waited in an enormous queue at the electronics store. Customers bottlenecking around the cash register is the last thing you want if you’re trying to run a health-conscious business. Outline socially-distant spacing using floor decals. Messages like “stand here” or “maintain 6 feet distance” are helpful reminders for even the most COVID-conscious consumer.
  • Entrance and Exit Demarcation – Use floor decals to indicate which entrances and exits customers should use to maintain social distance.

Pathway Signs

Gone are the days when customers can safely mill about in a large crowd. Signs are an effective way to communicate where customers should walk, so you’re able to control the flow of customers inside your business.

  • “Keep Left” or “Keep Right” Signs – Particularly helpful for businesses with narrow walkways or staircases, use a “keep left” or “keep right” sign to prevent potential traffic jams in small spaces.
  • “One Way” Signs – Sometimes, the best way to maintain a healthy flow and prevent congestion is designating certain pathways as “one way” only. This prevents customers from becoming too confined in a small area.

Safety Information

Now that indoor shopping and dining is widely available, it’s important to provide the necessary COVID-19 safety information inside your business as well as outside.

  • Hand-Washing Signs – Restaurants are required to post signs instructing employees to wash their hands before returning to work. Take this a step further and provide relevant information for guests as well. Choose signs with graphics detailing the best way to wash hands to eliminate bacteria and viruses.
  • Hand Sanitizing Stations – If you have hand sanitizer available for customer use, indicate the location of the sanitizing station so customers can easily clean hands before shopping or eating at your business.
  • Sneeze Guards – Protect public-facing employees with sneeze guards and use decals to remind customers to maintain distance and follow safety guidelines during their visit.

Updated Marketing Materials

COVID-19 has changed everything about our day-to-day lives, and this means it’s increasingly important to update marketing and advertising to match current demand. Customers are looking for brands that incorporate value-based selling, and promote a more personalized experience.

Update your marketing materials and advertising signage to reflect your engagement with customers. Print new brochures, launch social-media campaigns, and offer low-touch ways to access menus or information though QR codes. Use banners and large signs to indicate that you are open and ready to receive customers. It’s also a great idea to update your hours of operation signs to reflect any COVID-related changes.

Signs of the Time: Materials and Graphics Must Reflect Changes in Your Business

Whether you re-opened a while ago or are in the midst of preparing your business to welcome returning guests, signs are an effective resource to communicate with a large audience. Need a last-minute sign to outline a new policy? Bishop Image Group offers printing and installation services available for rush-jobs and last-minute requests. At Bishop Image Group, all your sign needs will be met by a team of professionals available in major markets across the country. Contact us today for more information about our services.

Once you’ve installed the necessary signs, decals, and posters you can relax and focus on providing your customers the best, and safest, experience possible. With clear directions and detailed policies, re-opening your business will feel like a breeze.

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