Restaurants are trying hard to find creative ways to keep their customers safe – and physically distant – as they reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some experts say patrons are most likely to see subtle changes, like tables placed further apart or physical barriers between them, and dining room capacity cut in half.

Emma Rankin, an instructor in the tourism-, hospitality and culinary arts program at Fanshawe College in London, Ont., expects restaurants to move away from built-in booths and towards movable furniture that offers more flexibility within a space.

Bar surfaces may also be widened to help maintain physical distancing between patrons and bartenders.

Other proposed safety precautions might include temperature checks of patrons or pre-screening them before they enter.

Changes to service could also be in place, with some eateries moving towards cell phone apps for placing orders, and cutting back or eliminating servers altogether.

Rankin says ensuring customers feel as safe as possible could also mean moving toward more open-plan kitchens, where diners can see how their food is being handled, and asking servers to wear gloves and face masks.

Keith Warriner, a professor of food sciences at the University of Guelph, expects places with patios will likely attract more customers because air flow between people can help restrict the spread of the virus.

He also notes things like utensils can be particularly dangerous high-touch surfaces and that gloves can actually spread virus more than if servers just practised regular hand-washing instead.