7 red flags to be on the lookout for when restaurants reopen

A waiter with a face mask carries food in a restaurant in Vienna, Austria.Associated Press

• As it becomes possible for Americans across the US to return to restaurants, customers need to be on the look out for red flags.
• Restaurants that have not made changes such as requiring workers to wear masks, marking some tables off limits, and rolling out new cleaning practices are probably not safe.
• Other red flags include poor ventilation and not allowing customers to make reservations.

As restaurants reopen dining rooms, many Americans are eager to once again eat out at their favorite spots.

However, customers need to watch out for red flags that signal some restaurants aren't currently safe.

"The one thing we do know is the virus is still out there," Celeste Monforton, a lecturer in public health at Texas State University told Business Insider. "When some governor said, 'May 1, we're opening things up,' it's not like the virus had a calendar and said, 'OK, I'm going underground again.'"

Experts and industry groups have created guidelines to keep restaurants as safe as possible as they reopen dining rooms. Restaurants that are following this guidance will be far safer to visit than those that have not made any adjustments to protect customers and workers against the coronavirus.

Here are some red flags to look out for when determining if it is safe to dine out at your favorite restaurant once again.