Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Super S
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by Super S »

I took one of my vehicles in for a warranty issue yesterday, so while waiting, I finally went to a sit-down restaurant for the first time since the pandemic started, a Shari's in Vancouver, WA. It definitely was not business as usual. Every other table was blocked off, several of the center seating area tables had been removed as well as all of the counter seating, which had been unbolted and removed. Salt & pepper shakers etc. were off the table and brought out by request. There was no contact tracing or temperature taking going on.

There were maybe two other tables occupied in the whole restaurant. I was directed to use a "virtual" menu, but they did provide a paper one when asked. They tore up the menu after one use and threw it out, and the restaurant was clean. One thing I did notice though was a metal storage cart where they were placing to-go orders for Door Dash and delivery services, they had this set up by the counter seating and there was a constant flow of people coming in and out to make deliveries.

While the food and service were better than average for Shari's, it is clear that sit-down restaurants are in trouble, and will have to adapt their business model even more if the pandemic drags on, which can not be ruled out with some areas rolling back in addition to the mask mandates.
It is worth noting that several fast food restaurants in my area have already switched back to drive-thru only.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by cjd »

I finally went to a sit down restaurant with a friend toward the end of June. We picked IHOP since it's usually not so busy in the evening, and there were few people there. I have noticed that some restaurants here are diverting to drive thru only again.

Not entirely sure, but I'm not planning on eating inside a restaurant most likely for quite a while, given there is more spread seeming to happen in my area than back in April-May when restaurants went to take out or drive thru only.

My guess is the pandemic will last around two years before it's no longer an issue, given the average duration of past ones is around one to two years. I don't expect it to slow down at any point this year but I think it will start to slow down next year after a vaccine is hopefully available.

Restaurants will stay slower up until then, although from what I saw today there still are quite a few cars in the parking lots, especially on the weekends.
Alpha8472
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by Alpha8472 »

The restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area had some that went back to indoor dining for a while in some counties, but recently most of those counties had surges in coronavirus cases. Most counties have shut down indoor dining again. This is due to employees catching the virus. There have been several lswsuits saying employees are not being protected and are being forced to work while sick.

Many restaurants have invested in outdoor tables in their parking lots such as Denny's, IHOP, and independent restaurants. People actually want to dine outdoors. The weather is mild enough. They are not as busy as before this whole situation started, but it is busier than back in March.

McDonald's has purchased many new wooden picnic tables and placed them outside. Dairy Queen has lines outside like crazy. People want their ice cream. I suppose it is a comfort food in these times.

The problem is that the indoor malls have closed again. The restaurants in indoor malls are in trouble, but outdoor mall restaurants are surviving with tables set up outside.

Indoor malls will not have any indoor restaurants left if this coronavirus situation continues for a year or more. The indoor malls need to adapt to the situation. The restaurants need to be moved to food trucks in the parking lots and outdoor food courts with tables need to be set up. It is the only way for them to survive.

Indoor malls are doomed. Several companies that run malls are considering bankruptcy. These indoor malls need to be converted to outdoor lifestyle centers. The era of indoor malls and restaurants is over.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by Alpha8472 »

My local sit down Taco Bell closed. It had no drive thru, but it did decent business. Once COVID-19 arrived this location lost a lot of business. It used to be a gathering place after high school got out in the afternoon.

This was a Taco Bell that used to have free valet parking when Whole Foods was under construction.

I fear for the Taco Bell in Lafayette, California without a drive thru. It is the last Mission style Taco Bell left in the area.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by Alpha8472 »

Has anyone seen the Plex'Eat plexiglass cone that covers your head when you eat at restaurants? A plexiglass cone hangs from the ceiling and surrounds your head when you eat.

I have seen some Denny's restaurants convert huge areas of their parking lots to outdoor dining with a giant overhead tent. They can have many people eating outside with table service. There must be room for up to 80 people.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by submariner »

Alpha8472 wrote: August 12th, 2020, 4:01 pm Has anyone seen the Plex'Eat plexiglass cone that covers your head when you eat at restaurants? A plexiglass cone hangs from the ceiling and surrounds your head when you eat.
No, thay'd probably be prohibitively expensive and a pain in the butt to clean after every diner... not to the mention they get in the way of servers, and if you bump one, you get a whole tablefull of plexiglas windchimes. They're not practical in the slightest.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/food-d ... plexiglass
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by storewanderer »

submariner wrote: August 14th, 2020, 3:05 pm

No, thay'd probably be prohibitively expensive and a pain in the butt to clean after every diner
This looks like a terrible idea. I cannot even imagine the cleanliness of these. How would you possibly get them clean thoroughly after every diner. I would not feel comfortable at all going under one of these.

Also people tend to talk loudly in restaurants. I think it would get fogged up/hot under there...
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

It literally looks like a lampshade with an opening in the back. Impractical to say the least.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by storewanderer »

TW-Upstate NY wrote: August 15th, 2020, 9:29 am It literally looks like a lampshade with an opening in the back. Impractical to say the least.
I get the idea and it is a novel idea. It is a legitimate concern as restaurants cannot continue at 50% capacity and turn a profit.

Maybe if you bring your own plastic lampshade to the restaurant to sit in and you are responsible for cleaning it. Yeah, right.

Easier to just eat at home.
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Re: Coronavirus and Empty Restaurants

Post by Alpha8472 »

I noticed a Taco Bell near me was closed today. It seems like COVID-19 struck again. The restaurant is closed for sanitation.

I do not know if they will have to destroy all of the food or just close down the location temporarily for cleaning. They either had to quarantine the entire staff or something.
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