Eating in restaurants?

[wordbird]

I kind of view restaurants the same way I view my health club these days--they're all more or less deserted where I live, so I'm going to go while the going is good. I wouldn't get on a cardio machine in a room with other people panting away, but I never really did that anyway. But the pool has been great--never more than one or two people, always a lane open. Sometimes when I'm the only one swimming there I'm like yeah, I dig this pandemic stuff--keep all these fuckers at home! Not really though. I feel for these businesses that are getting crushed. So even if I didn't go to the club to swim, I'd keep my membership current, unless I lost my job or something.

At my new gym(in Midwest), there is a 50s(bald) lawyer looking(or maybe financier of some sorts) guy that comes to work out at 8,9, or 10 PM on weekdays while still dressed up. I think he wouldn't be doing that if he didn't expect to be the only person in the gym.. Sad thing is I think he just gets done working at that time while I'm ready to go home and go to bed after my workout.

[Diamond Joe]

Whats the consensus on tipping the hostess for take-out? Do it? Don't do it? How much do you tip if you do it?

[seano732]

Whats the consensus on tipping the hostess for take-out? Do it? Don't do it? How much do you tip if you do it?

If it’s local, I absolutely do, 20%......Chain restaurants I’m trying to avoid...... Speaking of which, everytime I drive by the local Hooters, I am convinced we are fucking doomed. Packed to the rafters, no fucks given, all for bad wings and fake titties........

[SKIP IN7RO]

The just amount is a start.

[yeahman]

I'm tipping everybody well at restaurants these days, at least 25%, just because I feel they are probably in need of $$ because business is so down. When people on this thread comment about "packed" restaurants that seems really weird to me. It's not like that at all where I live. I hope that these restaurants are at least seating people a safe distance apart. Most restaurants I've been to have like half the tables blocked off as buffer zones between diners. If these "packed" restaurants aren't at least doing that, I sure as hell wouldn't eat there.

[Ted Striker]

Hooters waitresses are the moms in the say hi to your mom jokes.

[Brownski]

We’ve been eating a ton of takeout since all this started just to try and support our local places. The restaurant industry has been hit so hard they need it. My kids have been eating in with their friends since that started opening up again but I haven’t yet. I’d be okay with it but my wife is still a little freaked out. We’ve been overtipping the delivery guys and coaching the boys to over tip the waitstaff as well.

[2FUNKY]

Eat only at locally owned restaurants and tip 20%, even for take out.

[LeeC]

Just ate at Cracker Barrel, and tipped 30%, because I thoroughly enjoyed it.
She was very good. It was a good day.
It was nice to SIT. I am not a big tipper, but It seemed right.

[Ted Striker]

I'm doing the same as seano and 2funky. Locally owned, takeout only, and setting a baseline of $10 regardless of what percentage that works out to. Over $40, I've been doing a minimum of 25% sliding down to a minimum of 20% rounded up to the next whole number at higher dollar amounts.

[Mazderati]

Over $40, I've been doing a minimum of 25% sliding down to a minimum of 20% rounded up to the next whole number at higher dollar amounts.

[Mazderati]

What about the business of operating or opening restaurants during and after covid?

Doom and Gloom
- Restaurants that existed before the pandemic have closed permanently and that number will rise in the short term.
- Patterns of eating in may continue given refined grocery delivery options and new habits.
- Uncertain timeline for when 'after' may occur.

Potential Boon
- Less competition.
- Cheaper rent.
- Better locations.
- People ready to eat out again.
- Longer-term trend of eating out more often continues.

[dan_pdx]

What about the business of operating or opening restaurants during and after covid?

Doom and Gloom
- Restaurants that existed before the pandemic have closed permanently and that number will rise in the short term.
- Patterns of eating in may continue given refined grocery delivery options and new habits.
- Uncertain timeline for when 'after' may occur.

Potential Boon
- Less competition.
- Cheaper rent.
- Better locations.
- People ready to eat out again.
- Longer-term trend of eating out more often continues.

I expect that food carts are going to flourish in Portland until we have a vaccine. Then when people feel comfortable going back to restaurants, I think that all the boons you mentioned will drive rapid growth, as the most popular carts move into storefronts.

A big challenge for food carts in the interim will be finding customers now that the downtown lunch crowd is much diminished. We have some carts in smaller pods in the neighborhoods outside of downtown already, but I'm looking for even more of that.

And definitely agree we should be tipping heavily, with 20% as the minimum, regardless of whether it's takeout, carts, etc. The $5 more to go from an average tip to a great tip could make a difference to a restaurant worker, and I'll easily make it back with all the ski trips I don't take this winter. :-/

[KQ]

What about the business of operating or opening restaurants during and after covid?

Doom and Gloom
- Restaurants that existed before the pandemic have closed permanently and that number will rise in the short term.
- Patterns of eating in may continue given refined grocery delivery options and new habits.
- Uncertain timeline for when 'after' may occur.

Potential Boon
- Less competition.
- Cheaper rent.
- Better locations.
- People ready to eat out again.
- Longer-term trend of eating out more often continues.

We lost a great resturant early on (Whitehouse Crawford). They went down in April or May I think which makes me wonder how tenuous their business was to begin with since most of our other restuarants have been muddling through with outdoor dining and help from the city and the CARES act

[plugboots]

What about the business of operating or opening restaurants during and after covid?

Doom and Gloom
- Restaurants that existed before the pandemic have closed permanently and that number will rise in the short term.
- Patterns of eating in may continue given refined grocery delivery options and new habits.
- Uncertain timeline for when 'after' may occur.

Potential Boon
- Less competition.
- Cheaper rent.
- Better locations.
- People ready to eat out again.
- Longer-term trend of eating out more often continues.

Not sure if this fits in your categories, but downtown restaurants that catered to the business worker crowd are doomed. It's already happening. There are about 400 people associated w/ my wife's firm in Seattle, and 80-90% aren't coming back. Multiply that by all the companies. Somehow there will be money to be made with catering to the work-from-home crowd.

[Mazderati]

That's a great point. Business catering can be a significant percent of income for fast-casual restaurants.

[Ted Striker]

Well, I sure as hell ain't this guy

[dtown]

2 great spots in Minneapolis plan to close their doors...Butcher & the Boar and the Surly (brewery) beer hall. Not a restaurant but Palmer House in Chicago is being foreclosed on, great lobby bar and where the brownie was invented.

I think we’re seeing just the beginning of a lot of these closings.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Bobby Stainless]

I never stopped eating in restaurants. Tried to tip well.

Ive gained some weight with all this supporting local restaurants.

[yeahman]

2 great spots in Minneapolis plan to close their doors...Butcher & the Boar and the Surly (brewery) beer hall. Not a restaurant but Palmer House in Chicago is being foreclosed on, great lobby bar and where the brownie was invented.

I think we’re seeing just the beginning of a lot of these closings.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

That really sucks that Surly is closing. Went there last summer. Fun place. Fuck covid.

[XXX-er]

I think the real problem for restaurants is that people have discovered cooking their own food

[KQ]

Had Thai take out tonight. Driving through DT it was once again packed with dinners inside and out. Noticed some of the outdoor seating was less than 6ft (people sitting back-to-back).

Whoo dog! Thai food was SPICY tonight. Ordered medium. Hate to think what hot is like. Seems like it's always such a crapshoot at Thai resturants when it comes to spice.

[MontuckyFried]

When people on this thread comment about "packed" restaurants that seems really weird to me. It's not like that at all where I live. I hope that these restaurants are at least seating people a safe distance apart. Most restaurants I've been to have like half the tables blocked off as buffer zones between diners.

Yeah. Same here. I haven't seen a "packed" restaurant (or movie theater) since all this nonsense kicked off. EVERY restaurant I've been to has been strictly enforcing capacity and distancing rules. Along with requiring masks to enter the restaurant and walk to your table or even from your table to the bathroom.

Where do you guys live that you're seeing a bunch of packed facilities? Is it an urban versus rural thing perhaps?

[Viva]

Where do you guys live that you're seeing a bunch of packed facilities? Is it an urban versus rural thing perhaps?

In Rapid City, South Dakota last month, I dined in a couple of establishments that were packed, one with a line outside. Where I live in Four Corners area, I've seen several places that were at or near capacity (Not Durango, though. Their city leadership is about as stupid as the average padded room poster).

[MontuckyFried]

In Rapid City, South Dakota last month, I dined in a couple of establishments that were packed, one with a line outside. Where I live in Four Corners area, I've seen several places that were at or near capacity (Not Durango, though. Their city leadership is about as stupid as the average padded room poster).

Huh. Interesting. Out of curiosity, are those areas you're seeing packed restaurants in experiencing any different results than high population areas who are being way more cautious? When the dust settles, it's going to be really interesting to better understand all the variables. I can't believe we're nearly a year into this virus being discovered (probably longer within the lab tho) and we still know so little about it. So bizarre.