Restaurant Dining

[Ronstar]

Went to lunch indoors at a nice restaurant yesterday. Same routine as usual - customers with masks on unless at their tables. Servers with masks on. Restaurant was at full capacity. Menus were digital on our phones - scanned a barcode at the table and the menu popped up on our phones. And there was a 5% Covid surcharge.

[txtig]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toddtheformeraccountant I'm sorry, I have to give an alternate opinion. Once you get the vaccine and it has taken effect, you are about 90% immune, and virtually zero risk of being hospitalized for COVID. That puts it in flu risk territory (or less), which we haven't gone crazy about and kept out lives shut down for the flu since 1918. We have shut down our economy and lives for FAR too long, with an overly risk adverse public policy approach to COVID. Now, people are saying, well, now we have the vaccine...that's still not enough to move on. Well, if the vaccine isn't enough, we're NEVER going to reopen. That's not acceptable. That's enough risk mitigation to move on and get on with my life. I just think it's a counterproductive message if you tell people, hey, get the vaccine, it's great, but by the way you're going to have to continue to mask, distance, etc. If you're a medical worker working with COVID patients, by all means, you should continue to utilize infection control, you should do that COVID or otherwise. If you are still concerned about COVID and afraid to go about your life, that's your business. As long as you don't expect me to continue staying in my bunker to ameriorate your (in my opinion, unfounded) fear, I'm good with it. FTR, I had COVID in December, and I got vaccinated four weeks ago. I'm good, I'm done. I'll get off my soapbox now.

Well said.

[Helen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by txtig Well said.

But isn't the idea behind the continued mask wearing that vaccinated people can still pass the virus to unvaccinated people? I'm willing to continue taking precautions until everyone who wants to get vaccinated has the opportunity to do so.

[Calico]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helen But isn't the idea behind the continued mask wearing that vaccinated people can still pass the virus to unvaccinated people? I'm willing to continue taking precautions until everyone who wants to get vaccinated has the opportunity to do so.

^^^^This.

[Aerides]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helen But isn't the idea behind the continued mask wearing that vaccinated people can still pass the virus to unvaccinated people? I'm willing to continue taking precautions until everyone who wants to get vaccinated has the opportunity to do so.

I think the idea is more behind:

A) we're not 100% on vaccines = no transmission, but we're getting there
B) we can't tell by looking if you're vaccinated or not, so A is moot
C) the infection rates are still alarmingly high, and the virus continues to mutate, also meaning A isn't ironclad even if true
D) we don't know, yet, for sure, how effective all these measure are against variants, even more also meaning A isn't ironclad even if true

so stay vigilant for a few more months till we know and see the rates go down to very low numbers.

[Gumby]

My mother taught me two important things that bear on this issue:
1. Patience is a virtue.
2. Care for other people.

[Ronstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helen But isn't the idea behind the continued mask wearing that vaccinated people can still pass the virus to unvaccinated people? I'm willing to continue taking precautions until everyone who wants to get vaccinated has the opportunity to do so.

I agree to a point. I will wear take precautions in accordance with applicable rules. But I'm not about to try to figure out whether everyone who wants to get vaccinated has had the opportunity to do so.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee My 50th high school reunion was suppose to have been last summer--of course it had to be postponed. It is rescheduled for June of this year and I was trying to decide if I wanted to go, I live about 1.5 hours away. Today I get an email about the reunion, it is going to be held inside at a country club, probably about 100-150 people in attendance. The email said masks were "optional" (even though this will violate state rules) and that the food was going to be a buffet. That made up my mind-- I responded I would not be coming. I thought people in my high school class were smarter than this, I guess I am wrong.

I liked and appreciated a lot of the folks in my graduating class. Having said that I can't say I thought of them, as a whole, to be "smarter" than to ignore masks or other "protective" gear. IIRC 13 girls dropped out of my Sr. class at Christmas break. Just sayin', so YMMV.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helen But isn't the idea behind the continued mask wearing that vaccinated people can still pass the virus to unvaccinated people? I'm willing to continue taking precautions until everyone who wants to get vaccinated has the opportunity to do so.

Same here. Until cases drop a lot more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerides I think the idea is more behind: A) we're not 100% on vaccines = no transmission, but we're getting there B) we can't tell by looking if you're vaccinated or not, so A is moot C) the infection rates are still alarmingly high, and the virus continues to mutate, also meaning A isn't ironclad even if true D) we don't know, yet, for sure, how effective all these measure are against variants, even more also meaning A isn't ironclad even if true so stay vigilant for a few more months till we know and see the rates go down to very low numbers.

Exactly!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronstar I agree to a point. I will wear take precautions in accordance with applicable rules. But I'm not about to try to figure out whether everyone who wants to get vaccinated has had the opportunity to do so.

You see it by infections going way, way down.

[Ready]

I think it will be some time before we see buffet dining in many parts of the country. Even Whole Foods has adapted their buffet style selections to where they are either pre-packaged in plastic, or they are behind a rope where you are required to ask a Whole Foods employee to select the food items for you.

I’ve seen entire restaurant chains based on buffet dining go out of business due to COVID. And cruise ships are going to need to rethink their buffet dining options once they get going again. This may be the end of buffet dining as we know it.

Drink refills are another touchy subject. Costco still won’t let me refill my soda without having an employee do it for me. And most of the self serve restaurants with drink fountains have gone the same way.

[RobbieB]

One can only hope.

There are few worse things in life than scooping drek food out of stainless steel pans on a steam table.

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toddtheformeraccountant I'm sorry, I have to give an alternate opinion. Once you get the vaccine and it has taken effect, you are about 90% immune, and virtually zero risk of being hospitalized for COVID. That puts it in flu risk territory (or less), which we haven't gone crazy about and kept out lives shut down for the flu since 1918. <snip> If you are still concerned about COVID and afraid to go about your life, that's your business. As long as you don't expect me to continue staying in my bunker to ameliorate your (in my opinion, unfounded) fear, I'm good with it. FTR, I had COVID in December, and I got vaccinated four weeks ago. I'm good, I'm done. I'll get off my soapbox now.

I'm fully vaccinated but still masking and distancing. I consider them minor inconveniences that can't hurt, might help. I've also stayed out of airplanes and airports- booked for my first flight in October Previous one was March, 2020. I am THIS close to getting Diamond status with Hilton thanks to road trips and relaxed requirements for status.

Back to the OT- BF (also fully vaccinated) and I have 2 local restaurants we like and trust and have been dining in regularly for months. We've avoided some that have crowded parking lots. Distance, masking and cleaning measures are still reassuring,

[Badger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB One can only hope. There are few worse things in life than scooping drek food out of stainless steel pans on a steam table.

The times we went to a buffet was as the door was opened for business. Otherwise you take your chances with people handling the food and putting it back into the pans, sneezing on the food, using serving spoons after wiping their nose with their hands, etc. May or may not have been any better eating the food as they were just put out. They could have been serving yesterday's food warmed up first. We stopped going quite some time ago before Covid.



Cheers!

[disneysteve]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready I’ve seen entire restaurant chains based on buffet dining go out of business due to COVID.

Yep. One of our Florida favorites, Sweet Tomatoes (Soup Plantation in other areas) closed. We eat there once or twice on every Florida trip.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready Drink refills are another touchy subject. Costco still won’t let me refill my soda without having an employee do it for me. And most of the self serve restaurants with drink fountains have gone the same way.

Did they lower their price? No they did not.

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helen But isn't the idea behind the continued mask wearing that vaccinated people can still pass the virus to unvaccinated people? I'm willing to continue taking precautions until everyone who wants to get vaccinated has the opportunity to do so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronstar I agree to a point. I will wear take precautions in accordance with applicable rules. But I'm not about to try to figure out whether everyone who wants to get vaccinated has had the opportunity to do so.

+1. That’s why we still wear masks, lots of people have died, less than half of people have completed vaccinations, and infection rates are still high. Plus - how hard is it to wear a simple mask? Some people are making way too much of being asked to wear a mask IMO.

[Ready]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeWras Did they lower their price? No they did not.

I don’t understand your point. A hotdog and soda is $1.50. They still offer free drink refills, but now they have to keep a Costco employee stationed at the soda fountain to pour the drink for you, so their labor costs went up. Why would they lower their price?

[harllee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badger The times we went to a buffet was as the door was opened for business. Otherwise you take your chances with people handling the food and putting it back into the pans, sneezing on the food, using serving spoons after wiping their nose with their hands, etc. May or may not have been any better eating the food as they were just put out. They could have been serving yesterday's food warmed up first. We stopped going quite some time ago before Covid. Cheers!

I never ate from buffets even prior to Covid, IMO they are just nasty germ breeding grounds. I also don't like potlucks (even prior to Covid). Last time I ate at a Church potluck (3 or 4 years ago) I ended up with a nasty stomach bug. When I went to potlucks (prior to Covid) I would take a dish for the table and I would take a separate meal on my own plate for myself. When people asked me why I didn't eat potluck I would just tell them I have food allergies.
Buffets and potlucks may be a thing of the past.

[audreyh1]

I gave up on neighborhood potlucks here very quickly when I discovered that my neighborhood had very marginal cooks. Only one neighbor had terrific cookouts at his place.

I guess that was better for my waistline.

I guess I was spoiled growing up. My mother’s family had legions of terrific cooks - men and women. Their large gathering meals were always fantastic. My family foodie genes are definitely inherited.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready I don’t understand your point. A hotdog and soda is $1.50. They still offer free drink refills, but now they have to keep a Costco employee stationed at the soda fountain to pour the drink for you, so their labor costs went up. Why would they lower their price?

You mentioned that most fast food restaurants have gone that way. It is more than Costco.

Not having self serve refills will result in less soda consumption. It is a pain to get a refill from busy counter staff. You also have to impose yourself and "cut in line." Chick-fil-A never had self serve, so you have to ask for your refill. I find the value of soda there to be poor due to that. It is not My Pleasure to have to beg for refills.

So... no self serve means less soda, meaning they should drop the price. That's all I'm sayin'

And, yes, I have a soda problem. So be it.