How restaurants might reopen

[amycurl]

@slip, if you were inclined to share some of that parm peppercorn dressing somehow, I wouldn't mind it. That was the best thing that came from Sysco, the one summer that I hostessed at a place on the boardwalk in OC, MD. Many things were made it house, but that dressing wasn't.

Also, glad to know that your job is still secure. Are you having to go in as normal? Or working from home? Or a bit of both?

 

[TravelTime]

I do not see how certain businesses like restaurants are going to survive with social distancing rules. It will make operating a restaurant a lot less profitable. As I understand, restaurants are already a tough business to be in. Other businesses like movie theaters, conventions, concerts, etc will also have trouble re-opening and trying to make a profit with social distancing. I assume many businesses will decide the reduced profit margin is not worth it and will disappear.

 

[slip]

@slip, if you were inclined to share some of that parm peppercorn dressing somehow, I wouldn't mind it. That was the best thing that came from Sysco, the one summer that I hostessed at a place on the boardwalk in OC, MD. Many things were made it house, but that dressing wasn't.

Also, glad to know that your job is still secure. Are you having to go in as normal? Or working from home? Or a bit of both?

Yes,I hear that often about a lot of our products.

We have definitely been affected, I don’t want to make it sound too rosey. We put a lot of people on furlough.

I am the only person covering the islands in my job. I can do a lot of things from home but not all so I have to go in every day. Nothing has changed much of me.

 

[bbodb1]

I think restaurants are going to be like flying was after 9-11. There will be trepidation and a certain segment will be "all in" at the beginning . Eventually the public's confidence will grow and business will climb. I personally will be the first one in the door!

I've asked this question on another board but your post reminds me of it here too - how will establishments adequately staff during the period of time starting when we emerge from most of this? I can easily imagine a LOT of dining establishments having some considerable delays in seating and service for quite some time during the recovery..

 

[PigsDad]

I've asked this question on another board but your post reminds me of it here too - how will establishments adequately staff during the period of time starting when we emerge from most of this? I can easily imagine a LOT of dining establishments having some considerable delays in seating and service for quite some time during the recovery..

Can you clarify your question? Are you saying that restaurants will have a hard time finding people to work there? With unemployment skyrocketing, I wouldn't think that would be a problem. Or are you saying it will be hard to train new people? Not sure what issues you see w/ restaurants adequately staffing their establishments. Thanks.

Kurt

 

[Luanne]

Can you clarify your question? Are you saying that restaurants will have a hard time finding people to work there? With unemployment skyrocketing, I wouldn't think that would be a problem. Or are you saying it will be hard to train new people? Not sure what issues you see w/ restaurants adequately staffing their establishments. Thanks.

Kurt

Or, is the question how will they know how many people they will need as they are just starting back up. Might not be a full staff at first.

 

[bbodb1]

@PigsDad - @Luanne has the point I was trying to make here. I think the first several months will be a wild ride in the restaurant business as they figure out how to operate and the right number of staff needed to meet demand.

And demand might also be wildly varying as well.

I feel for restaurant owners during this time as the already difficult job of running a restaurant is going to get harder.

 

[Maple_Leaf]

@PigsDad - @Luanne has the point I was trying to make here. I think the first several months will be a wild ride in the restaurant business as they figure out how to operate and the right number of staff needed to meet demand.

And demand might also be wildly varying as well.

I feel for restaurant owners during this time as the already difficult job of running a restaurant is going to get harder.

I picked up take-out last night and killed some time speaking with the manager about a potential reopening. He thinks there will be some type of social distancing capacity controls put on restaurants and these controls will likely make most restaurants unprofitable in the long run. We kicked around the idea of select restaurants surviving as private dining clubs, others moving permanently to a take-out and delivery model with most just going out of business.

 

[b2bailey]

How are the individuals in the groups going to sit 6 feet from each other as they eat. You would need awfully long tables and then distancing the tables themselves. And you would need a big room or a lot of outdoor space. LOL!

Plus- restaurants, like most businesses, depend on volume. I just don't see it.

If the table consists of people who live together, there would be no need to sit 6 feet apart.

 

[Brett]

We ordered take out from a local restaurant and they included a roll of TP in the food bag
(new packaged roll )

from a recent article on restaurant re-openings

 

[beejaybee]

Back to my original thought...
If restaurants can open by prepaid reservations only, having names & phone #s would make contact tracing easy in the event that a patron or employee tested + for Covid-19.

 

[Luanne]

We ordered take out from a local restaurant and they included a roll of TP in the food bag
(new packaged roll )

One of dd's co-workers has been getting her tp that way. She lives in a town with pretty much just one place to buy groceries and supplies. She doesn't own a car. So, she's been ordering take out from places where she can get tp as well.

 

[Luanne]

If the table consists of people who live together, there would be no need to sit 6 feet apart.

I wonder how this would, or could, be policed? Would everyone have to provide proof they live at the same address?

 

[b2bailey]

I wonder how this would, or could, be policed? Would everyone have to provide proof they live at the same address?

I'm my opinion, once things open up/loosen up, this decision would be made by the individuals who would consent to be seated together. Not something that would need to be policed.

Even now, people are making decisions independently about who they will allow to come into their home. No one is policing that activity.

Bottom line, after the standards are re-set it will be our own choice whether we want to participate.

 

[WinniWoman]

If the table consists of people who live together, there would be no need to sit 6 feet apart.

and the waitress will be how far? We are suppose to stay 6 ft from people but then not for a waitress?

 

[WinniWoman]

If the table consists of people who live together, there would be no need to sit 6 feet apart.

IF. So no dating. No couples, friends and other family can go out to eat together.

 

[Passepartout]

and the waitress will be how far? We are suppose to stay 6 ft from people but then not for a waitress?

I don't think that AT FIRST, there will be wait-people. It will be call-in or online ordering, pick-up at a counter and the customer carries their order to a table. No menus, no wait staff, easy social spacing. It will work better in decent weather for outdoor dining on disposible servingware. Far from perfect, but you have to start somewhere.

 

[WinniWoman]

I don't think that AT FIRST, there will be wait-people. It will be call-in or online ordering, pick-up at a counter and the customer carries their order to a table. No menus, no wait staff, easy social spacing. It will work better in decent weather for outdoor dining on disposible servingware. Far from perfect, but you have to start somewhere.

We did take out yesterday for the first time. The restaurant is on beautiful Meredith Bay. As I waited for our order I looked around at the outdoor seating area and if they had to put tables 6 feet apart there would hardly be any set up. Most restaurants don’t have that kind of outdoor real estate and many have none.

I also was not crazy about the whole take out experience. Food was good but it just isn’t as enjoyable as the whole eat in experience.

 

[am1]

We did take out yesterday for the first time. The restaurant is on beautiful Meredith Bay. As I waited for our order I looked around at the outdoor seating area and if they had to put tables 6 feet apart there would hardly be any set up. Most restaurants don’t have that kind of outdoor real estate and many have none.

I also was not crazy about the whole take out experience. Food was good but it just isn’t as enjoyable as the whole eat in experience.

I feel the same. Take out should be cheaper then eat in because of it.

 

[Luanne]

I also was not crazy about the whole take out experience. Food was good but it just isn’t as enjoyable as the whole eat in experience.

I agree. I love the dine out experience with someone waiting on us and no dishes to clean up. But we're doing take out several times a week for a couple of reasons. Hopefully to help some of our local restaurants out, and also to give dh a break from fixing dinner every night.

 

["Roger"]

Here ...

is a Washington Post article on restaurants reopening (or, not). Very grim.

(The article might be behind a pay wall.)

 

[MrockStar]

Yes,I hear that often about a lot of our products.

We have definitely been affected, I don’t want to make it sound too rosey. We put a lot of people on furlough.

I am the only person covering the islands in my job. I can do a lot of things from home but not all so I have to go in every day. Nothing has changed much of me.

Slip, thanks for your dedication and essential work. Stay safe out there. AL

 

[Steve Fatula]

I agree. I love the dine out experience with someone waiting on us and no dishes to clean up. But we're doing take out several times a week for a couple of reasons. Hopefully to help some of our local restaurants out, and also to give dh a break from fixing dinner every night.

Same here. We always ate out twice a week, on weekends, one meal Sat and Sun each. So, we now do takeout Sat/Sun to maintain the same schedule though obviously different. We want to support those restaurants still trying to make it through. We see a lot that have closed and moved all their stuff out, i.e., permanently. And then there's the one place that had JUST opened before being shut down, feel really bad for them.

I have a haircut appt next week. It is (here) one customer (no family) inside at a time. While that's >0 money, it's hardly going to make them much money. I am sure they'll be losing a lot, just less than when shut. I'll likely give them a 100% tip since I know them.

 

[MrockStar]

Same here. We always ate out twice a week, on weekends, one meal Sat and Sun each. So, we now do takeout Sat/Sun to maintain the same schedule though obviously different. We want to support those restaurants still trying to make it through. We see a lot that have closed and moved all their stuff out, i.e., permanently. And then there's the one place that had JUST opened before being shut down, feel really bad for them.

I have a haircut appt next week. It is (here) one customer (no family) inside at a time. While that's >0 money, it's hardly going to make them much money. I am sure they'll be losing a lot, just less than when shut. I'll likely give them a 100% tip since I know them.

Nice, no hair cuts here yet really hoping for one in a couple of weeks. coming up on a couple of months here. Looking pretty shaggy.

 

[b2bailey]

Someone has mentioned that buffets will be a thing of the past. Yesterday I drove by a place I've enjoyed -- Souplantation. It's part of a chain, mostly west-coast. Similar to buffet, but mostly self-serve soup and salad. I was sad to realize they probably won't be able to re - open. Ever.