UK coffee chain Costa Coffee has announced its reopening of more than 1100 stores by the end of June.
Due to Covid-19, the coffee company said it had worked hard to make the stores safe and welcoming for employees and customers. Every store has been equipped with protective equipment, hand sanitiser stations, and will continue to work with contactless payment.
Although necessary from a safety point of view, the perspex screens placed at all counters across the stores create a barrier not only to the virus, but to the human interaction that we have become used to when we go for a coffee.
Safety of the workers and stopping a resurgence in the virus is paramount, but we wonder how the changes will go down with customers who paid a premium for the experience rather than just the coffee.
Designated pick-up points for delivery and mobile order collections, and two-meter floor signs have been placed in and outside stores to adhere to social distancing guidelines. These guidelines are currently under review by the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who is under pressure from businesses to relax the rules.
Bespoke serving hatches created for Costa Coffee drive-through sites to ensure customers can collect orders with no contact. These hatches have a built-in acrylic hygiene screen to provide protection for both customers and employees.
While many Costa shops are already open, Costa Coffee CEO Jill McDonald said that by the end of June, more than 1100 stores will reopen for take-away or delivery only.
