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

[Aerides]

mod note:

Let's dial it back a notch please - there are no limits to the number of time one can post in a thread as long as they stick to the community rules.

 

[MRG]

But at least you are still alive and healthy! I had 4 friends with Covid-19--one died, one has what appears to be permanent lung damage (age 50 with no preexisting health problems) and 2 (in their 40s) who are still very sick after a month, in and out of the hospital. At most your "prison sentence" lasted 2-3 months. But these lock downs probably saved hundreds of thousands of lives and disabilities. To me not going out to eat for a few months (still have not eaten in a restaurant) is a small price to pay.

I'm very sorry for your friends.

I too am not going out any time soon. Our restaurants opened today at 50% indoors and 6' spacing outside. At the same time we are getting lots of tourists from all over. None of them seem to know what a mask is. So why should I be the test case? I will take out for now and see what happens over the next few weeks.

I really fear this disease especially when we have 8 beds in the county and 20% less O2. If the folks from populated areas bring it here no problem for them. They'll be going home for ventilation, we don't have it here.

 

[Midpack]

mod note:

Let's dial it back a notch please - there are no limits to the number of time one can post in a thread as long as they stick to the community rules.

Thanks!

Judging from the poll at this moment, well established with 287 total votes:

• Only 22% will go back within 2 weeks of their states reopen date
• 13% will go back within 2 months
• 50% will wait more than 2 months
• And 15% didn’t eat at restaurants regularly pre-Covid-19.

So I’d expect posts will follow those sentiments. Half to 2/3rds of our posters are probably waiting for effective therapies and/or a vaccine before they dine in at a restaurant again, if then. Less than a quarter of posters will go back within 2 weeks.

We’re each free to decide what’s right for ourselves. There is certainly no universal ‘right answer.’

 

[gwraigty]

We’re each free to decide what’s right for ourselves. There is certainly no universal ‘right answer.’

+1

Apologies to the group if I added to any contention in any way. I hope that most of you understand that I wasn't at all making light of the fact that people have died from this. It's too bad that words were put in my mouth and I just wanted to address that. Overall, I'm glad to discuss most things with reasonable calmness. I'll make more of an effort to not get myself mixed up in any stirring of the pot, except when I'm making dinner.

 

[gayl]

While walking my dog (yes we decided he's not going back to SF) I noticed the chairs outside the local coffee shop were filled with those enjoying their cup of Joe & pastry, the steakhouse has tables & chairs under an awning so I guess it's started ?!?! Hope the city isn't aware of this. Holding firm at 5 confirmed cases

I'm taking my cc and joining them tomorrow. With the dog as he liked being around the other dogs

 

[statsman]

DW is ready to go out and eat at a couple of our favorite restaurants now. She doesn't want them to go out of business, and I don't blame her.

For the most part I am ready too. I am just not interested in dining in a restaurant where I feel like I am being attended to by a hospital cafeteria staff, or I need to be in some sort of air-lock to eat a meal (some exaggeration, but not by much).

Also, any requirement that I have to wear a mask inside a restaurant is a non-starter and rather pointless at that. Any fiddling of a mask inside the restaurant just to eat defeats the purpose of a mask. Heaven help me if I need to cough to clear my throat while eating.

So, I can't answer the poll question. If it were pre-COVID-19 conditions, immediately. For the requirement to get to 100% "safe", months from now.

 

[harllee]

DW is ready to go out and eat at a couple of our favorite restaurants now. She doesn't want them to go out of business, and I don't blame her.

For the most part I am ready too. I am just not interested in dining in a restaurant where I feel like I am being attended to by a hospital cafeteria staff, or I need to be in some sort of air-lock to eat a meal (some exaggeration, but not by much).

Also, any requirement that I have to wear a mask inside a restaurant is a non-starter and rather pointless at that. Any fiddling of a mask inside the restaurant just to eat defeats the purpose of a mask. Heaven help me if I need to cough to clear my throat while eating.

So, I can't answer the poll question. If it were pre-COVID-19 conditions, immediately. For the requirement to get to 100% "safe", months from now.

Can you help your favorite restaurants out by doing take out or delivery? That is what we have been doing. In talking to some local restaurant owners they say that take out is still their main business even though they have been allowed to open at 50% capacity. Hardly anyone here is going to eat inside restaurants for now and it has been raining too much for outdoor dining. We have already had two tropical storms.

 

[statsman]

Can you help your favorite restaurants out by doing take out or delivery? That is what we have been doing. In talking to some local restaurant owners they say that take out is still their main business even though they have been allowed to open at 50% capacity. Hardly anyone here is going to eat inside restaurants for now and it has been raining too much for outdoor dining. We have already had two tropical storms.

For a couple of our favorite restaurants, the food was less than satisfactory with take-out. This surprised us because one restaurant in particular had a robust take-out business pre-COVID-19.

Another restaurant we like has good take-out, so we've supported them with a weekly order (plus generous tip). Their food holds up well to the drive home. It also does well when reheated or warmed back up in the microwave, which I usually do for lunch the next day with any leftovers.

 

[Dtail]

For a couple of our favorite restaurants, the food was less than satisfactory with take-out. This surprised us because one restaurant in particular had a robust take-out business pre-COVID-19.

Another restaurant we like has good take-out, so we've supported them with a weekly order (plus generous tip). Their food holds up well to the drive home. It also does well when reheated or warmed back up in the microwave, which I usually do for lunch the next day with any leftovers.

We have found that there have been more mistakes with the delivery food, so we decide whether to follow up or not each time.

 

[harllee]

For a couple of our favorite restaurants, the food was less than satisfactory with take-out. This surprised us because one restaurant in particular had a robust take-out business pre-COVID-19.

Another restaurant we like has good take-out, so we've supported them with a weekly order (plus generous tip). Their food holds up well to the drive home. It also does well when reheated or warmed back up in the microwave, which I usually do for lunch the next day with any leftovers.

The items I have found that work well for take out--

Italian spaghetti and sauce, lasgana and pizza (of course)
Asian
Fried Chicken (yum)
Most any meat (like meatloaf, roast chicken) with 2 vegetables
Most seafood (except for fried)
Whole steamed lobster (our favorite)
Some sandwiches like hamburgers do OK

Salads usually don't do well. Things with lots of sauces don't usually do well (with the exception of italian). Fried foods don't do too well with the exception of fried chicken

We have found that french fries can be brought back to life if heated in the oven

 

[Aerides]

Can you help your favorite restaurants out by doing take out or delivery? That is what we have been doing.

I have been doing take out for 2 months from our favorite place, so I'm really happy to back there and sit outside, with well-spaced tables. We spend more when we're there (wine, etc.) as well. My place has a large overhang it could be raining pretty well and we'd be fine, as long as it wasn't windy as well. We've been the only ones there two Saturday nights in a row, while the restaurant continues to see a revolving door of take out and deliveries.

Instead of interacting with one person once for a take out order, we interract with that same one person 3-4 times over the course of a meal as she brings out items. The extra risk is below marginal, and worth it to resume one of my favorite "normal times" activities.

 

[Midpack]

DW is ready to go out and eat at a couple of our favorite restaurants now. She doesn't want them to go out of business, and I don't blame her.

For the most part I am ready too. I am just not interested in dining in a restaurant where I feel like I am being attended to by a hospital cafeteria staff, or I need to be in some sort of air-lock to eat a meal (some exaggeration, but not by much).

Also, any requirement that I have to wear a mask inside a restaurant is a non-starter and rather pointless at that. Any fiddling of a mask inside the restaurant just to eat defeats the purpose of a mask. Heaven help me if I need to cough to clear my throat while eating.

So, I can't answer the poll question. If it were pre-COVID-19 conditions, immediately. For the requirement to get to 100% "safe", months from now.

I thought it was clear by the question and start date this wasn't the case. Why would "ready to return" apply pre-Covid-19? A poll that included before and after would be useless.

 

[statsman]

I thought it was clear by the question and start date this wasn't the case. Why would "ready to return" apply pre-Covid-19? A poll that included before and after would be useless.

Alright, let me rephrase, knowing this is probably an exercise in futility. If the restaurant environment *now* mirrored close to what it was like before COVID-19, my DW would be there immediately, and I would go with her. Under the current guidelines, of which I have no idea how long they're going to last, not interested.

If it still doesn't fit the topic, have the moderators delete my posts on this thread and any responses to them. It is not my intent to clutter up this thread. Just stating an opinion.

 

[Midpack]

Alright, let me rephrase, knowing this is probably an exercise in futility. If the restaurant environment *now* mirrored close to what it was like before COVID-19, my DW would be there immediately, and I would go with her. Under the current guidelines, of which I have no idea how long they're going to last, not interested.

I didn't know pre-Covid-19 conditions existed anywhere in the first world, not even Sweden. Your posts are welcome, I was just puzzled at to why you couldn't vote in the poll. No biggie.

 

[DallasGuy]

Not worth the risk!

 

[geeky_grrl]

Instead of interacting with one person once for a take out order, we interract with that same one person 3-4 times over the course of a meal as she brings out items. The extra risk is below marginal, and worth it to resume one of my favorite "normal times" activities.

That baseline level of risk changes person to person a lot so how much riskier dining it is will change based on that.

For someone who is already doing takeout eating at a low density restaurant isn't a lot extra risk. But I basically haven't gone in a building outside my house for 3 months and have only been within 10 ft. of someone outside my household a handful of times in 3 months so dining out seems like lot more risk to me.

I feel like a lot of these conversations are like Carlin's "Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?"

 

[Teacher Terry]

Many foods don’t carry out well. We are enjoying outside dining.

 

[harllee]

aTeacher Terry, outside dining is something I might consider at some point. But our summer weather does not lend itself to outside dining and I don't know of many restaurants set up for outside dining. We have so many thunderstorms in the evening. This spring has been very rainy--it has rained nearly every day for the last 2 weeks and now is very humid and muggy. What area of the country are you in and what do they do about weather for outside dining? Do they also have mosquito control? I guess our restaurants are going to have to figure something out for outside dining.

 

[gwraigty]

It's interesting to see and hear how various people are adjusting to these new temporary realities in dining. A regular customer at DD's workplace is still sitting outside in his car for hours in the parking lot. I spoke with him briefly yesterday. He goes inside to refill his coffee, but DD hasn't seen him sitting inside yet like he used to before. It was so windy in April, they removed the patio umbrellas. The manager put the signs for which patio tables are available and which are off limits right over the umbrella post holes, so now they can't put the umbrellas up. Right now it's cloudy and dry, so it'd be perfect, but that doesn't happen too often. I'm not fond of dining outside myself.

Yesterday afternoon they had a couple of old ladies sitting together in the dining room, gabbing away for a few hours. This morning there was an old man sitting in the dining room already before 8 AM. It was the first time I've seen a customer in the dining room that early. He had the whole dining room to himself. DD said that she's starting to see a lot of the same people eating in every day now. Some menu items are being added back, too. I got a breakfast sandwich that hasn't been available for a couple of months.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Harley, Northern Nevada and we have many restaurants with outside patios. What are those mosquitoes you speak of? We have eaten dinner outside at our house for the past month.

 

[harllee]

Harley, Northern Nevada and we have many restaurants with outside patios. What are those mosquitoes you speak of? We have eaten dinner outside at our house for the past month.

Lucky you! Our mosquitos are big and biting and worse of all carry diseases. I wonder if mosquitos can transmit Covid-19--have not thought of that until just now!

 

[Teacher Terry]

We are fairly bug free. It rarely rains. The last time we went to Wisconsin the skeeters were horrible.

 

[W2R]

We don't seem to have mosquitos either, even though it rains a lot here. I have never had even one mosquito bite since I moved to our suburb 21 years ago.

Residents here are cautioned about emptying containers of standing water, but also here's what I think may be the real reason why we have no mosquitos: Trucks fog the neighborhoods with insecticide quite regularly in our neighborhood. OK, those of you cringing may un-cringe now. We like what they do here for insect control.

 

[harllee]

We don't seem to have mosquitos either, even though it rains a lot here. I have never had even one mosquito bite since I moved to our suburb 21 years ago.

Residents here are cautioned about emptying containers of standing water, but also here's what I think may be the real reason why we have no mosquitos: Trucks fog the neighborhoods with insecticide quite regularly in our neighborhood. OK, those of you cringing may un-cringe now. We like what they do here for insect control.

They use to do the fogging here in NC when I was a child. At some point it was banned.

 

[Midpack]

I said it would take more than 2 weeks for us to go back, but our first (outdoor) dine in was only 13 days after phase 2 and we did indoor dine in today after 16 days. We just couldn’t stay away. In both cases we went early and were the only diners, so we really didn’t test the limit - we’d have done takeout if we were uncomfortable with the “crowd” or the cleanliness. I’ve seen some crowded outdoor dining scenes lately, that we wouldn’t have gone for (yet)...