Poll: Are You Ready To Return To Your Favorite Dine In Restaurant?

[jollystomper]

One of our favorite restaurants is a Chinese buffet. It will be difficult for me to eat in any buffet restaurant at this time and feel safe.

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Your first time out in months and you chose to go to a waffle house? Words fail me.

Have to agree. The last time we went to a Waffle House was in the early 90’s, and we’ll never go back.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Your first time out in months and you chose to go to a waffle house? Words fail me.

I read it as if it were a fueled by alcohol adventure.

[P.S.]

It’s really just a game of statistics, right? If COVID has burned through your area, then no problem. O/w it’s a roll of how likely will my waiter have asymptomatic infection? Because if they’re infected, and asymptomatic, then they are in the high virus shedding phase. And a roll of: if I get it, what kind of case am I likely to have?

We won’t be eating out for awhile. We do get carry out about 4x/wk, very hot foods only. My kids have been missing their sushi.

[rk911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Your first time out in months and you chose to go to a waffle house? Words fail me.

not me....excellent choice! love waffle house. can't wait to do lunch with my buds at our fav hot dog place and dinner and a movie with my wife.

[COcheesehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by P.S. It’s really just a game of statistics, right? If COVID has burned through your area, then no problem. O/w it’s a roll of how likely will my waiter have asymptomatic infection? Because if they’re infected, and asymptomatic, then they are in the high virus shedding phase. And a roll of: if I get it, what kind of case am I likely to have? We won’t be eating out for awhile. We do get carry out about 4x/wk, very hot foods only. My kids have been missing their sushi.

Our waiter last night told us he had to be tested before returning to work.
The credit card transaction is now touchless. You scan a QR code on the receipt and do the transaction through your phone. Patio dining only and when you walked through the restaurant you had to have on a mask.
All the tables were full of happy diners. All spaced accordingly.

[youbet]

Sitting in a closed room with many other customers who are not wearing masks makes restaurant dining a non-starter for us until local statistics indicate that "up close and personal" contact with my fellow citizens is likely OK. The fact that the staff might be masked helps, but we're worried about sitting 6 - 8 ft from unmasked, infected folks at the next table for an hour or so.

Still thinking through restaurants that offer outside, widely spaced seating.

[COcheesehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by youbet Sitting in a closed room with many other customers who are not wearing masks makes restaurant dining a non-starter for us until local statistics indicate that "up close and personal" contact with my fellow citizens is likely OK. The fact that the staff might be masked helps, but we're worried about sitting 6 - 8 ft from unmasked, infected folks at the next table for an hour or so. Still thinking through restaurants that offer outside, widely spaced seating.

Here it’s patio dining only and the tables were at least 12-15ft apart.

[slingshot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stedmakr If I was in my 30s - 50s my response might be different, but at 65 I'm not going to sit down in a restaurant. At some point the experts (scientists not politicians) will say the threat of exposure has diminished dramatically and or the remedies significantly diminish the consequences of the disease. Then I'll reassess. I wonder if if the folks who are now going to restaurants or are willing to go have personally known someone who has passed from covid.

This is an excellent question! We have not spoken with anyone who has had the virus and we have not spoken with anyone who personally knows anyone who has had the virus. Admittedly a small sample group. Our reality does not compute with what is on the news.

We are being careful and cautious but we are making a choice to support our local small business too. The spot we dined at had very other booth closed off and the wall behind the bar is all open to patio. Less than 25% occupancy and most recognizable neighbors or friends.

I don't want to become ill, but I'm more afraid of the economic danger to our country and the quick loss of freedoms we traded to feel safe.

[COcheesehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stedmakr If I was in my 30s - 50s my response might be different, but at 65 I'm not going to sit down in a restaurant. At some point the experts (scientists not politicians) will say the threat of exposure has diminished dramatically and or the remedies significantly diminish the consequences of the disease. Then I'll reassess. I wonder if if the folks who are now going to restaurants or are willing to go have personally known someone who has passed from covid.

I know someone who passed. He caught it in his nursing home.

[P.S.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by COcheesehead Here it’s patio dining only and the tables were at least 12-15ft apart.

Combined w/ restaurant staff pre-tested would be about as good as you can get. We’ll still stick w/ takeaway, though, including that from the Wuhan restaurant case study.

[COcheesehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by P.S. Combined w/ restaurant staff pre-tested would be about as good as you can get. We’ll still stick w/ takeaway, though, including that from the Wuhan restaurant case study.

The one associated with air conditioning?

[Dtail]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rk911 not me....excellent choice! love waffle house. can't wait to do lunch with my buds at our fav hot dog place and dinner and a movie with my wife.

Went to a Waffle House last year and ordered waffles.
Have to say I was not impressed. No different than an Eggo. The southern style service was great though.
CrackerBarrel/Hampton Inn waffles much better.

[nap470]

The Waffle House brings back a rush of memories from the early 1980s. A long college baseball road trip through Arkansas and Missouri. Our school (or our coach) must have received a sweet deal or kickbacks from the Waffle House management, because that was the only establishment he would allow the team bus to stop at for breakfast, and even some evening meals. We begged to go other places but it never happened. It was the first time some of us "northerners" were introduced to grits. Great memories! I haven't eaten at a Waffle House since. Primarily because the chain is not near me.

[rk911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stedmakr ...I wonder if if the folks who are now going to restaurants or are willing to go have personally known someone who has passed from covid.

not passed but three friends have had it (only one had a test). one mildly ill for a few days, one really sick for 5-6 weeks and the third (he was tested) went to hospital with pneumonia, was tested and found to also have CV19. they all recovered at home and are doing fine. we are eager to go out to eat.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by COcheesehead Our waiter last night told us he had to be tested before returning to work. The credit card transaction is now touchless. You scan a QR code on the receipt and do the transaction through your phone. Patio dining only and when you walked through the restaurant you had to have on a mask. All the tables were full of happy diners. All spaced accordingly.

I’m impressed that the waiter was tested?

I like the QR code approach for paying the bill. Way better than the old way we seemed to be stuck with forever.

[Markola]

I enjoy cooking and getting occasional takeout. I’m not going into a restaurant again until I determine to my satisfaction that it’s safe to do so and, therefore, enjoyable.

[statsman]

Absolutely. As long as polls like this one remain the pattern where a majority of people who frequent restaurants are going to wait 2+ months (or maybe never return). There is just some food that doesn't do well via take-out, even for those restaurants that are designed for it. Take-out/drive-thru/delivery is a big thing here in Central Texas, and I'm not talking about the fast food joints.

[P.S.]

Quote:

Originally Posted by COcheesehead The one associated with air conditioning?

Yes, indoors. Outdoors, I wouldn’t want to be downdraft of anyone.

[Sojourner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dtail Went to a Waffle House last year and ordered waffles. Have to say I was not impressed. No different than an Eggo.

IMHO, Waffle House waffles are much better than Eggo or anything you can buy frozen in the store. Light, fluffy, and delicious. Looking forward to having them again one day soon.