Reopening of Restaurants
What will it take for you to return to your favorite restaurant?
Covid-19 has placed us in an unpredictable set of circumstances. It’s been over a month of distancing ourselves and it’s hard to think about our world ever going back to the way it was. What will it look like for food establishments when they reopen? And which ones will never be able to open again? Will it be a matter of how much money restaurants have and how long they can survive without revenue? If they open what will it take for customers to come back? I have lots of questions.
There are so many inquiries about the future of restaurants because they do not have the captive audience like private clubs. The revenue of a restaurant depends solely on bringing customers into their establishments. So what is going to take to accomplish such a feat? Let us go back in time before the virus and remember why we frequented those restaurants to begin with.
Of course I can only speak for myself in knowing why I have my favorite places to eat. If you have read my blogs then you already realize the importance of restaurant employees making me feel like I’m at home with friends, that beautiful warm welcome. The menu items aren’t as crucial because I can always find something that I will enjoy. Cleanliness is essential because I will be ingesting what employees will be touching. Paying attention to detail, proper serving techniques and safety procedures also have significance.
Out of the many reasons to trust restaurants again I believe the most important will be safety. How are restaurants going to make me feel safe in their care? I certainly did not quarantine myself for weeks staying healthy for a restaurant to have the ability to take me down in a couple of hours. I want to feel their protection as soon as walk in the door.
Perception is of the utmost importance because what I see goes hand in hand of how I’m going to feel. How I feel will alert me to either returning to that restaurant or decide to cook at home. One practice could start out with something as simple like an employee opening the door (so I don’t need to touch the handle) to enter the restaurant. There’s my moment of truth and hopefully sets the scene for the remainder of my stay. I still want that warm welcome just not as close to my face as in the past. And it goes without saying that cleanliness of the entire restaurant is critical.
I would be looking at the servers and their behaviors to see if I’m really going to remain in my chair and eat what they serve me. The servers will be the conduit for the restaurants’ success. I used to tell the employees that they were on stage and being watched constantly, so it was important how they conducted themselves. During and after this virus servers will be scrutinized with every move they make until customers feel safe and retraining will be vital.
Maybe the tables are no longer preset because they are not protected if someone decides to sneeze walking by. Okay, in that case my mind would be set at ease with a server handing me a warm roll up using tongs; again it’s a feel like the employees are sensitive to my concerns. Or when I’m finished with the washable menu I witness someone sanitizing them before being used again. As far as the kitchen prepping your meal, you’ve trusted them before and there is no reason why not to have faith in them now.
Proper table service can make a customer have the sensation of being protected or cringe and ask for the check and fly out the door! Servers’ elbows should not be brushing close to a customer’s ear when serving them. Fingers cannot be touching anything where someone is putting their mouth and customers enjoying their company shouldn’t be aware of the server’s presence half the time.
Managers should be walking around and available constantly for questions or concerns from the customers. To guarantee the evening was nothing less than exceptional managers must do one last check as they open the door to walk customers out. As usual these standards are my opinions only. When it’s finally safe to go out to dinner give your favorite restaurants a chance as they desperately need our support.
