As the country reopens, Yelp wants to help you find Safe Places to Eat

As more states open up and people consider going back out to eat, it can be tough to know exactly how each restaurant will be handling things. While most will likely have some sort of social distancing markers, mask requirements, and enhanced safety features in place, you probably won’t know for sure until you get there. That’s where Yelp now comes in.

The service is adding a COVID-19 section to its business pages, Food & Wine magazine reports. This section will allow business owners, like those in charge of restaurants, to signal to customers the steps they’re taking to combat the spread of coronavirus.

The feature will allow businesses to post details on what health and safety measures they’re implementing and indicate any changes to their typical offerings that have been affected by COVID-19, according to a post on the company’s blog. For example, they’ll be able to include labels like “social distancing enforced,” “sanitizing between customers,” “staff wears masks/staff wears gloves,” and “limited capacity.” This feature will have time stamps so people will know if the information is up-to-date.

They can also note if they’re offering dine-in service, outdoor seating, curbside pickup, delivery, and more, and will also allow businesses to create a customizable message to customers, a feature it originally introduced as a “COVID-19 banner” back in March. Soon, those who visit the businesses will be able to share what their experiences were like when they visited which will be shared as “reassuring and informative content to further validate the information provided by the business,” according to Yelp.

“COVID-19 has caused a lasting impact on many people and small businesses,” the company wrote: “As local economies and small businesses start to reopen their doors, we’re dedicated to prioritizing the needs of local businesses and consumers. More soon.”

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