When cooking, he uses neither semi-finished products nor half-measures, prioritizing safety—Rafał Niewiarowski talks about disinfection from the kitchen

They cut, chop, crush, bake, braise, smoke, and reduce—all as part of natural cooking at the Dym na wodzie restaurant in Ustka. What are the rules in the kitchen where Chef Rafał Niewiarowski and his team prepare fresh dishes from local ingredients every day?

To try the crayfish soup or potato cake with goat stew, you need to reserve a table by phone, online, or by ringing… a bell. To ensure the safety of guests and staff, the restaurant has set up a vestibule where guests wait for a server to escort them inside and show them to their table. Hand sanitizer dispensers are placed in the waiting area so that customers can sanitize their hands before entering the restaurant. Immediately upon entering the restaurant, guests can review the current safety guidelines. Covering the nose and mouth is required from the moment of entry until reaching the table, and some guests choose not to remove their masks even during the meal. The staff, who wear face coverings at all times while working, have been equipped with face shields for greater comfort. After taking a seat at a freshly disinfected table, customers receive a large menu from the server—laminated and also disinfected after each use.

We had to replace our previous custom-designed menus with a new version that can be easily and effectively disinfected each time before being handed to a customer. Salt and pepper mills have been removed from the tables and replaced with individually packaged seasoning packets. “To make it easier to disinfect a table after it’s vacated and before seating the next customer, we’ve removed the tablecloths and replaced them with table runners, which are changed every time,” explains restaurant owner Rafał Niewiarowski.

These are just some of the rules implemented at the restaurant to ensure the safety of employees and customers. When visiting Dym na wodzie, it’s a good idea to bring a credit card, as guests are encouraged to use electronic payments to minimize unnecessary contact. Dishes are served to the table on trays, and takeout meals are packed in bags. Staff disinfect door handles, light switches, and countertops practically every 15 minutes, and a thorough disinfection of the entire premises takes place after lunch and at the end of dinner service.

The most difficult moment was the restaurant’s first reopening after the lockdown was lifted, when we were working on guidelines for guests and a set of safety rules for our staff, implementing GIS recommendations. The responsibility for training the team on hygiene rules fell to the restaurant manager. We had to modify the seating plan to ensure at least a two-meter distance between tables. We equipped the restaurant with additional hand sanitizer dispensers, which were placed at the entrance, in the dining area, and in the restrooms. To limit uncontrolled movement of guests around the dining room, we came up with a bell to summon a server to the table,” adds the restaurant owner.

Restrictions on movement and the need for social distancing also apply to the staff. The staff tries to work at a distance from others and, whenever possible, not face-to-face. Personal hygiene rules apply to all employees, including staff who do not have direct contact with customers or food. Mandatory hand washing and disinfection, as well as reporting any signs of illness, are also required of drivers, suppliers, and service technicians. The existing rules in accordance with the HACCP food safety system have been supplemented with additional disinfection measures. Product deliveries to the restaurant are disinfected twice: outside the restaurant and in a specially designated area inside the premises.

Fortunately, the lockdown did not disrupt the supply chain, which, in the case of a restaurant using local and seasonal products, is unique and difficult to replicate.

Everyone was so eager for us to reopen that we were able to resume operations without a hitch. There were also no issues adapting to the new hygiene protocols,” recalls Rafał Niewiarowski.

Although the virus hasn’t disappeared from our reality, attendance at Dym na wodzie is strong, and the restaurant is fully booked every day. Customers at Viva Italia Food & Wine in Koszalin are more cautious than those in the tourist town of Ustka—the second location of the chef known from the Top Chef show. However, as the owner assures us, the number of guests there is also growing every day.

Every day—at both locations—we strive to strictly adhere to hygiene protocols, not only to avoid the risk of the restaurant being shut down for several days, but above all out of concern for our colleagues, our families, and our guests. We’re glad that so far we haven’t had to implement procedures in case an employee falls ill, and we’re doing everything we can to keep it that way,” declares Chef Rafał Niewiarowski.