Having grown up in upstate New York farm country, I am by nature an early riser. When I travel, I am generally ready for breakfast, my favorite meal of the day, by 5:15. I am often downstairs in the hotel ready to assist the morning F&B crew with their setup of the dining room and buffet areas. They may not need or want my help, but I am available.

I have had the opportunity in recent months to enjoy breakfast in several hotels that offered breakfast buffets, from full service to limited service, all offering breakfast buffets with some level of self-service, such as make-your-own waffles. If you have not had the opportunity to observe guest behavior in these self-serve venues, it is worth the time. Here are some points to consider:

• We have much less control over food and beverage in a self-serve setting, so the food safety system you develop must take into account worst-case scenarios. Guests are hungry, in a hurry, and may not have the best sanitary habits in the bathroom or in the buffet area.
  
  
• Make a hand sanitizer dispenser available and readily visible. Not everyone will use it, but it will help reduce the bacterial and viral load on hand-contact surfaces.
  
  
• If guests are “cooking” (i.e., waffles), we must protect them as much as possible from burning themselves and potentially creating a smoke signal fire. Clear instructions, proper utensils, and a roving buffet attendant can help. Is the cooking area appropriate for young adults or children to use? If not, you must take care to communicate this properly.
  
  
• Observe the utensils both as they are in use and resting. Lots of hand contact (clean or dirty) has occurred, and the utensils may have been left in the food such that the hand contact area is now contacting the food. This situation needs to be controlled by having utensil rests available and changing out the utensils on a very regular basis during the service period.
  
  
• Place the smallest batch of product on the line that you can, based on usage, to minimize exposure to undesired handling. Covers will help to maintain temperatures and contamination, but they are challenging to keep in place. Clear covers are best, minimizing problems caused when guests remove the lids to see what’s inside.
  
  
• Carefully and consistently wash and sanitize display wares. What is your process for cleaning and sanitizing the display area where the fresh fruits reside, for example? The flatware dispenser? There are many hands in these areas over the course of just one meal period.
  
  
• Keep those side towels and wiping cloths out of sight. Nothing is more unappetizing than dirty side towels, especially in the hands of one of your staff members.
  
  Self-service venues are important to our operations. Let’s make sure we are providing the safest food for our guests to consume, whether they are the first guests at 6 a.m. or the last ones leaving breakfast.
  
  Norm Faiola, Ph.D., is associate dean and associate professor, Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management, Syracuse University. Email questions or comments to nafaiola@syr.edu.