17.7.2026

Video Description:

When dining at food premises with buffet counters or salad bars, can customers select food with their dogs on a leash?

The answer is:  Absolutely not!❌

Today, let us share with you the distance restrictions and compliance guidelines for buffet counters and salad bars:

📏 【Licensing conditions】 According to the licensing conditions, food premises must not allow dogs to enter the zone within 1.5 metres of any buffet counter or salad bar at any time!

The reason for establishing this licensing condition: The buffet counter / salad bar is where food is displayed.  Allowing dogs to be in close proximity may pose safety and food hygiene risks.  Therefore, it must be ensured that dogs cannot reach the food.

🏢 Management recommendations for persons-in-charge of the food premises 【Clearly demarcated areas】: Restaurant operators could mark the zone within 1.5 metres of any buffet counter or salad bar with clear signage, or set up appropriate barriers (such as fences and stanchion ropes) to prevent dogs from entering accidentally.

【Optimised seating arrangements】: When arranging seats, restaurant staff could assign customers with dogs to seats further away from buffet counters or salad bars as far as possible to minimise the risk of non-compliance at source.

💡 Safety tips for customers with dogs when “getting food”: If you wish to go to the buffet area or salad bar to get food, please take the following proper measures and do not bring your dog along:

👥 Taking turns looking after the dog: If you’re with relatives or friends, please get food “in shifts” – one person goes to get the food while the other remains at the seat to properly look after the dog.

💺 Tethering arrangement for temporarily leaving the seat: If customers have to temporarily leave their seats, they must securely fasten the dog leash to a fixture.

🧼 Paying attention to personal hygiene: Before leaving the seat to get food and after returning to the seat, customers with dogs should wash their hands or use disinfectant hand sanitisers to clean their hands to ensure food hygiene.

By maintaining a safe distance, we can enjoy our meals with peace of mind!