What do restaurants do if a tornado siren goes off during dinner service? — Danielle D. St. Louis
This is an important question, particularly during storm season. Tornado preparedness for restaurants mirrors that of private residences: during a tornado warning, individuals should seek shelter in a basement or a small, windowless interior room. Notably, at restaurants, guests cannot monitor the storm from their porches. In my extensive experience running restaurants, I encountered a tornado warning once. I humorously addressed the guests by saying, ‘It’s time we all take a tour of the kitchen,’ which prompted some to head to the walk-in cooler for shelter. It was a unique situation where our guests were allowed to enter the ‘inner sanctum’ of the kitchen.
We reached out to several multi-unit operators to gain insight into their specific protocols:
Nick Bognar, indo, Sado, Pavilion: ‘We have signage in the back, at server stations, and at the host stand indicating the shelter areas in the basement. We ensure guests are prepared for the possibility of needing to evacuate. Keeping patrons away from windows is critical. Recently, we canceled our second seating, which allowed guests to stay safely without worrying about entering or exiting during the storm. Reflecting on the restaurant environment, the presence of just one piece of flying debris could lead to disaster.’
Brant Baldanza, OG Hospitality Group: ‘In my experience on the floor, guests often inquired about shelter when the sirens sounded. Initially, I would joke that our shelter had space for only one and kept its location a secret. We have since improved our strategy: moving guests away from windows while keeping a local news channel playing on the TV for updates.’
Kurt Eller, Taco Buddha, Gastronauts Food Group: ‘Our managers are well-versed in our safety plan, with the duty manager wholly responsible for customer and staff safety. Thanks to weather tracking, communication with customers is ongoing when severe weather is on the horizon. Even though we cater to outdoor dining, we plan seating arrangements accordingly as rain approaches. It is not uncommon for guests to arrive moments before storms, where we advise against outdoor seating. Many choose to leave, but some opt to wait with us, and we keep them informed about safety protocols.’ Our designated safe areas are the kitchen walk-in at Kirkwood and the basement at U. City, where we have hosted guests during tornado threats, earning positive feedback for our actions.’
Frank Romano, Madrina, The Parkmoor Drive-In: ‘I always invite guests to join us in the designated shelter area. We monitor the storms closely, ensuring to update them if the sirens activate, and even use a light-hearted approach by offering them a glass of Champagne in our shelter area while they wait.’
Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Cafe, Peacemaker Lobster & Crab: ‘Fortunately, we haven’t faced any significant weather-related incidents, as we possess basements in all our venues where we could accommodate guests. We ensure everyone is alerted safely and promptly, encouraging them to remain indoors until it’s clear.’
Natasha Kwan, Frida’s/Bonito Bar, Diego’s Cantina, Station No. 3: ‘We take these situations very seriously. We are privileged to have Rick, our co-owner and pilot, who understands weather conditions well. We have strict protocols to ensure our guests’ safety. For example, during a tornado siren last year, guests at Frida’s sheltered in the prep kitchen, while those at Diego’s continued dining, unconcerned about the weather.’
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