Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by cjd »

I went to Dairy Queen today. It was around 11:45 and there were maybe 5-6 couples or families eating there. Very slow for a Saturday morning.

The first thing I noticed was the servers and cashiers were all wearing gloves. They give you your lid and straw at the counter when they give you the cup. No tea was available, only fountain drinks. All items including the tea urns and napkins have been removed from the drink counter and ketchup and mustard, salt and pepper caddies are gone from the tables. When they brought the food out I asked if they had ketchup packs and they said they did and that they would bring me some along with napkins.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by storewanderer »

I was at El Pollo Loco today and the self serve salsa bar has been closed with signage posting saying to request salsa from cashier.

The self serve tea is still there though.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by BillyGr »

storewanderer wrote: March 14th, 2020, 3:30 pm I was at El Pollo Loco today and the self serve salsa bar has been closed with signage posting saying to request salsa from cashier.

The self serve tea is still there though.
Seems like that makes more sense as most places the drink containers (even iced tea) are totally enclosed and you aren't touching the part where the drink comes out, where something like salsa (we don't have the chain you mention, but I'm suspecting it's similar to the way a Moe's does it) is in more open containers that would be much easier to have something get into.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by ninersdd »

Yeah at Taco Bell, you have to ask for napkins, straws, sauces, etc.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by storewanderer »

ninersdd wrote: March 14th, 2020, 8:42 pm Yeah at Taco Bell, you have to ask for napkins, straws, sauces, etc.
I fail to understand the point of restricting access to pre-wrapped condiment items for the sake of Coronavirus... is this just being used as an excuse to control these things in hopes that fewer people take them and they save money?

Let's just blame everything on Coronavirus. I don't like the cold weather tonight. It must be the fault of Coronavirus.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by Alpha8472 »

Some Taco Bell restaurants have closed their dining rooms and converted to drive thru or delivery only. Maybe the employees just do not want to have to keep cleaning the dining room. Drive thru was shockingly not busy. Normally there is a line of at least 30 cars on a Saturday night, and tonight there were 2. Bars and nightclubs were noticeably empty.

If this continues, we are going to see increased unemployment from all of these restaurants, movie theaters, bars, amusement parks, sporting events, and hotels that have lost customers. Even Uber drivers are having no luck. The train station is usually bustling with Ubers double parking everywhere. People are staying at home.

If more people are out of work it is going to lead to less spending and an economic downturn. People may never regain the confidence to flock to restaurants anymore.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by cjd »

I'm wondering too how this may affect things going forward. With the push to do business online and restaurants and grocery stores advertising delivery services increasingly even before the virus outbreak, they seem to be using this as an opportunity to push it even more. I keep getting emails reminding me I can do everything online and not risk exposing myself to the virus.

I feel with an increasingly secluded culture where people just want to be alone and do everything via their phones rather than going out and having to interact face to face, if things stay more or less the same after the virus threat is gone.

Will people stick with delivery instead of dining out? Will they decide to stop going to movie theaters or parks? Will they take more of their shopping online and not to go local stores?

It's an interesting thought.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by Alpha8472 »

I saw a formerly busy Walmart McDonald's post a sign today saying their hours are being reduced. It is closing early. Apparently, restaurant hours are being reduced and employees are being let go. There were virtually no customers even at lunch.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by storewanderer »

I went to Popeyes today. It was deserted. The restroom had no soap so I decided to leave rather than order anything.

I went to El Pollo Loco instead. Trickle of customers coming and going there but very little activity. The supervisor/manager was telling an employee who just arrived to shift that they had "already sent 5 people home today since it was so slow."

The roads were dead and the only places that really had people were grocery stores and gas stations. Based on the numerous $200-$400 transactions I observed in grocery stores the past few days, I suspect a lot of people are feeling a wallet sting and may be opting to eat the large quantity of food they bought rather than eating out.

Beyond that, everywhere else had very little activity. It looked like a holiday on the roads like Christmas when limited businesses are open.

All schools in Nevada are closed through April 6. Part of the time between now and then is normally scheduled Spring Break.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by Alpha8472 »

California has ordered all bars, nightclubs, wineries, and brewpubs to close. It is like Prohibition.

What about restaurants that have bars? I assume you could sit at a table and order alcohol. What about bars in movie theaters?

Restaurants are to reduce occupancy by half to maintain social distancing.
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