PRLA Restaurant & Lodging Matters Fall 2020

8 •  PENNSYLVANIA RESTAURANT & LODGING matters  •  Fall 2020 Restaurants & Bars New Technology Recommendations OUTDOOR CONDITIONS WILL soon make it too cold for al-fresco service in many parts of the country. As a result, many restaurant owners and managers are looking into indoor air purification solutions to provide a safer indoor environment for their patrons, expecting that customers will be more apt to frequent their location. Unfortunately, there are limited indoor air filtration specifications from advisory agencies and, are at best, just recommendations. Business owners are left to determine how to reduce airborne transmission risk, proving difficult when finding HVAC system modifications can be very expensive or impossible. Most restaurant owners and managers discover that upgrading HVAC systems to meet air purification requirements is too expensive and not economical. Industry estimates range from $15–28 per square foot for new installations and $10 per square foot for system upgrades. These amounts are too expensive for most restaurant and lounge owners and may explain why little has been written or advised regarding indoor airborne risk reduction. Little information or advice seems to result in business owners making air purification a lower priority over surface disinfection. Coincidentally, there is a large amount of information demonstrating that COVID-19 is spreading via airborne particles more than previously thought. Findings suggest that one of the primary ways unwanted pathogens are spread, including COVID-19, is through microscopic and aerosolized particulate matter, which will suspend in the air undetected by people. These new findings will require restaurant and bar owners to face the reality that many