Venice Pier Group restaurants reaffirm their promise to uphold the highest health, safety and sanitation standards.
Venice Pier Group, which operates waterfront dining destinations Sharky’s on the Pier, Fins at Sharky’s and Snook Haven in Venice, Fla., has been awarded the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) Seal of Commitment, a respected health, safety and sanitation honor.
The Seal of Commitment is the FRLA’s highest designation for hospitality safety and sanitation standards. Bearing this seal is Sharky’s, Fins and Snook Haven’s pledge to their employees, guests and community that each restaurant meets and exceeds the FRLA’s designated health, safety and sanitation standards. Less than 70 restaurants in the state of Florida have received this recognition, and the Venice Pier Group restaurants are the first to receive this honor in Venice.
Venice Pier Group’s goal in achieving this seal is to ensure that, upon walking through each restaurant’s doors, guests have the utmost confidence that the establishment is safe, sanitized, and that its employees are well-trained to uphold these standards in a post-COVID-19 atmosphere.
“We have always believed safety and sanitation within Venice Pier Group to be a top priority and have held our standards well above the requirements of the industry,” said Justin Pachota, President of Venice Pier Group. “This is just another way for the public to know that where they are eating has been certified as the highest level of cleanliness.”
The FRLA Seal of Commitment achievement comes on the heels of the Venice Pier Group restaurants being recognized as the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year in the Hospitality and Tourism category.
To qualify for the Seal of Commitment, Sharky’s, Fins and Snook Haven each underwent a thorough site inspection and had to meet designated restaurant health, safety and sanitation standards. Additionally, Venice Pier Group had to meet specific employee certification criteria, meaning that each employee holds a current food handler certificate and all managers have a current food manager certificate. Furthermore, all 265 Venice Pier Group employees attended and completed an FRLA COVID-19 Safety and Sanitation Course.
“The training provided not only focuses on the importance of safety and sanitation but also on how to create a great experience for our guests while managing those priorities,” Pachota said. “It reminds all of us our every action towards each individual can impact the guest and each other.”
The Seal of Commitment reaffirms the elevated health and safety initiatives Venice Pier Group set in place since reopening for dine-in services in May. The group’s standard operating procedures are of the highest level of safety and sanitation and include the following measures: screening employees and performing temperature checks daily, requiring all employees to wear face masks, highly encouraging guests to wear face masks while moving about the restaurant, providing single-use menus and digital access to menus via QR code, sanitizing common-touch surfaces between guests and nightly using hospital-grade disinfectant, sanitizing and replacing all condiments, salt & pepper shakers and other tableside accessories between guests, and adhering to all social distancing guidelines by spacing indoor and outdoor tables at least six feet apart, limiting bar seating capacity and installing barriers between booths.
Sharky’s on the Pier, located at 1600 Harbor Drive South, is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Live entertainment plays at Sharky’s on Thursday through Sunday evenings, weather-permitting. Fins at Sharky’s, located at 1600 Harbor Drive South, is open daily from 12 to 10 p.m. and hosts a daily happy hour, Fins Frenzy, from 4 to 6 p.m. Snook Haven, located at 5000 E. Venice Avenue, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Canoe and kayak rentals are available Wednesday through Sunday at Snook Haven from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
