Information Booklet Restaurants

INFORMATION BOOKLET
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR

RESTAURANTS

|CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR PAGE | 02
RESTAURANTS
INTRODUCTION

Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) is committed to making
every visit to Curaçao a unique
experience. In line with this objective, CTB is
introducing a certification program for
Holiday Apartments. This program aims to be an
incentive for service innovation,
recognizing and promoting the quality level of
accommodation services provided.

1.1 For whom?

This certification program is aimed at:
• Restaurants that have (or have the ambition to
have) tourists as customer segment of their
business;
• Restaurants that strive to deliver high quality
services;
• Restaurants that are willing to invest in improving
their managerial skills,
personnel skills, and the quality of their services;
• Restaurants that are not part of an international
franchise organization.

1.2 Why participate?

The benefits of having your apartments CTB
certified are:
• Quality recognition by an independent party;
• Permission to use the CTB quality label, a visual
logo that serves as a symbol for offering quality
services and taking care of safety precautions;
• Have your apartments listed on curacao.com;
• Have your apartments included in CTB’s local and
international marketing activities;
• Recommendations to innovate your business,
including a Mystery shopping report.

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RESTAURANTS

1.3 Development & Execution

The CTB Certification Program for Holiday Apartments is executed by Curaçao Innovation &
Technology Institute (CITI), a non-profit government foundation.
Throughout the years CITI has gained much experience in the field of quality certification. Previous
activities are the development and execution of a quality program for CASHA Apartments, and a CTB
Certification Program for the Dive and Restaurant Industry. All CTB Certification Programs are
evaluated, improved and repeated every two years.

The CTB Certification Program for Restaurants consists out of three parts:

• Hygiene audits;
• General audits;

• And Mystery shopping.

1.3.1 Hygiene audits
Hygiene audits are conducted by hygiene expert Mr. O. Offerman. The hygiene audits
are conducted as follows:
• Intake session;
• Participant receives report with recommendations;
• Two-month period to make necessary improvements;
• Final assessment.

1.3.2 General audits
General audits are conducted by consultants from ICC and with support from a
hospitality expert. They are conducted as follows:
• Preliminary general assessment;
• Participant receives report with recommendations;
• Two-month period to make necessary improvements;
• Final assessment.

1.3.3 Mystery shopping
The Mystery shopping audits are conducted after the preliminary general assessment,
and are conducted by experienced restaurant visitors, trained by ‘Vanessa Gomes
Coaching & Training’. Each participating restaurants is visited by one Mystery shopping
couple. As a result of the Mystery shopping visit, each participant will receive a report
with findings and recommendations.

1.3.4 Certification
After the final assessments CTB will evaluate the results, and those who have
successfully completed the program will be granted with a CTB certification.

1.4 How to participate?

Do you own and/or manage a restaurant? Does your business meet the criteria listed

above? And would you like to have your restaurant CTB certified? Then please contact

CITI via [email protected]. Participation in this program costs ANG 265,- (incl OB).

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2. CTB Standard for Restaurants

2.1 Starting points

The following criteria were identified as starting points for developing the CTB standard
for Restaurants.
• Restaurant is operating legally and professionally;
• Restaurant facilitates an enjoyable experience;

• Restaurant ensures safety to guests and employees;

• Restaurant Promotes sustainable behavior, and incorporates sustainability into everyday
practices.

2.2 Sources

To develop the CTB Standard for Restaurants, the following information sources were used:
• Restaurant Standard of Trinidad & Tobago;
• Forbes;
• Government standards (Fire brigade, Municipal Health Service, Economic Permits
Department);
• Sustainability standards (Travel Forever, Bedrijvenplatform Milieu);
• Input from hospitality experts, among whom: Mr. H Hernandez (hospitality expert), Mr. L. Tromp and
Mr. O. Offerman (hygiene experts), Drs. Helen Guda and Vanessa Gomes (Mystery shopping experts).

2.3 Focal points

To become certified, the following focal points are audited:
• Hygiene
• Legal documents
• Facilities / features
• Customer service
• Staff- / restaurant- / food presentation
• Service management
• Corporate social responsibility

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RESTAURANTS

2.3.1 Hygiene

Hygiene conditions and hygiene management are audited on the basis of the international hygiene code
for catering industry (De Hygiënecode voor de horeca, door Bedrijfschap Horeca en Catering), which is a
mandatory standard in the Netherlands. This standard is derived from the international hygiene standard
‘Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point’ (HACCP). The international hygiene code requires a higher level of

hygiene management than the hygiene standard currently used by the Municipal Health Service
in Curaçao, but is easier to meet than HACCP, which makes it more feasible and affordable to
meet.

2.3.2 Legal Documents
The legal documents, of which a copy is required, show that the business is registered with the
Chamber of Commerce and has all mandatory permits in place. In advance of the preliminary
general assessment you are asked to already upload a copy of these documents via your
‘Hospitality and Tourism Certification’ account.

2.3.3 Facilities/ features
This topic discusses whether the restaurant provides well taken care of facilities and features to
ensure an overall enjoyable service. This includes, among others, the availability of a non-
smoking area, and separate female and male restrooms.

2.3.4 Customer Service
The assessment of customer service entails among others how reservations are taken and
processed, how guests are welcomed, and the serving skills of the restaurant staff.

2.3.5 Staff-/ Restaurant-/ Food presentation
The auditors and Mystery shoppers will assess the overall presentation and neatness of the
restaurant, of the products and facilities provided, and also whether the staff looks well-
groomed.

2.3.6 Service management

This item tackles the level of service management, that should ensure well-informed
and well-trained staff, and effective time management.

2.3.7 Corporate Social Responsibility

This item tackles the level of service management, that should ensure well-informed
and well-trained staff, and effective time management.

Curaçao Tourist Board
Pietermaai 19
Curaçao
5999 461-8200

www.curacao.cw

Curaçao Innovation & Technology Institute
Schottegatweg Oost 82-84
Curaçao
5999 738-6299
www.citi.cw