Restaurants opening 12/14

I read in the CJ that some restaurants will open, regardless of restrictions, on 12/14. I won’t be eating indoors at a restaurant anytime soon and will stick to take out 2-3 days a week. (More meals out than pre-pandemic!)

What about everyone else? Are you going to eat inside at these places? Will you still get carry out from them?


(Not calling out any names but I guess it wouldn’t matter. It seems like they want folks to know who they are so people will come?)

[Robin Garr]

I'm following that with interest, but speaking for myself, theoretically in a high-risk group due to being a Boomer, I'm not eating inside any restaurant until there's herd immunity.

I'm happily doing takeout, though, and as much of it as I can afford to do my small part to help.

But would I choose to avoid some of the places whose owners are yelling the loudest about their right to expose diners to covid? That's going to take some thought. I get it that they're worried about their financial existence, and that's really difficult. But the bottom line is that people will get sick and some of them will die.

It feels futile to me. There is no way these businesses can succeed in this environment. Even if Beshear tells them they can go to 100% capacity. There are too many people who are not going out, and the restaurants need everyone.

The government isn't capable of saving these businesses. Offering $10K seems futile. It's like someone is bleeding to death and you offer them a skinny band-aid.

I won't be eating indoors until herd immunity is reached hopefully during the summer of 2021. Even if these restaurants re-open their status won't be sustainable. The Open Table data showed that back in March reservations collapsed before the shutdown. People already knew it was hazardous to eat indoors without the government telling them so. Also, I think they are not helping themselves with public opinion.

Up until the recent ordinance to close indoor dining, coupled with a little colder weather which prohibits outdoor comfort, things were shaping up from the low point of last spring/early summer. It seemed that between hybrid takeout/delivery/outdoor/indoor consumption and support such as extended unemployment, gov-sponsored business loans, higher tipping, and support of Lee Initiative, Apron Inc, etc., the tide was turning and places were reopening or even opening of new at an inspiring rate.

For those who don't get out much it needs to be clarified that folks were definitely eating and drinking indoors. Logic reveals that this was the case or 1) Gov Beshear would not have bothered closing indoor dining if the numbers had been insignificant; 2) restaurants would not be petitioning to the point of "we are willing to go against the ordinance if needed" if it didn't affect their bottom line---it does. Many places need that revenue stream to keep them afloat.


I get out a lot and have been in cafes, restaurants, malls, stores, etc. on a very regular basis. I was just at St Matthews Mall yesterday for my son's haircut. There is hardly an empty storefront. Godiva, one of the last to reopen, recently opened after a 7 month absence due to their supply interruption from Belgium. I've been to Jefferson Mall a number of times and little-by-little basically all the stores have reopened. In both cases, the food courts are basically at full capacity. Same with the Paddock---hardly an empty storefront, if any.

I'm just saying whether some folks like it or not, people are out and about. This is, of course, the main reason why there has been such spiking throughout the country. Beshear recognized this a longtime ago but tolerated it because he can't stop all the interacting. Regarding indoor dining, he just conceded yesterday that "We fully expect it will be able to. At this point, we have no expectations that we will continue the current order. ..." Vive le vaccin.... et tout de suite! Hang in there, folks!

I'm seeing/doing pretty much the same as James. I was at total wine yesterday and every aisle was packed with people. The restaurants have been closed for 2 weeks and cases are still rising, 20% increase in the last 14 days.

By The New York Times


TOTAL REPORTED ON DEC. 2 14-DAY CHANGE
Cases 191,067 3,782 +20%
Deaths 2,124 27 +17%
Hospitalized 1,768 +23%

[Robin Garr]

The restaurants have been closed for 2 weeks and cases are still rising, 20% increase in the last 14 days.

By The New York Times


TOTAL REPORTED ON DEC. 2 14-DAY CHANGE
Cases 191,067 3,782 +20%
Deaths 2,124 27 +17%
Hospitalized 1,768 +23%

Don't you think we're probably seeing a Thanksgiving bump, Justin?

The restaurants have been closed for 2 weeks and cases are still rising, 20% increase in the last 14 days.

By The New York Times


TOTAL REPORTED ON DEC. 2 14-DAY CHANGE
Cases 191,067 3,782 +20%
Deaths 2,124 27 +17%
Hospitalized 1,768 +23%

Don't you think we're probably seeing a Thanksgiving bump, Justin?

Probably, but I'm just not buying the restaurant shutdowns anymore. Unless we shut everything down again the spread will continue until herd or vaccine.

I read in the CJ that some restaurants will open, regardless of restrictions, on 12/14. I won’t be eating indoors at a restaurant anytime soon and will stick to take out 2-3 days a week. (More meals out than pre-pandemic!)

What about everyone else? Are you going to eat inside at these places? Will you still get carry out from them?


(Not calling out any names but I guess it wouldn’t matter. It seems like they want folks to know who they are so people will come?)

For the first half or so of all this we continued to eat inside staying masked (after masks became a thing) through receipt of food. After reading and hearing so much about many who would dine only outside, we started doing that plus takeout. Like you, we’re takeout two to three days a week- probably more than pre-pandemic.

I will say there’s a pretty loose definition of “outside” at several restaurants. Also, I’ve noticed at certain places that the concept of “six feet” is somewhat subjective.

Wont be seeing me eating in or outside until after Vaccine gets to me and maybe not even then.. I'm 69 and plant o try to make it to 70. I'll do takeout but thats it.

GG

It usually takes about two weeks for any policy change to begin showing an effect on overall numbers of COVID cases, and it doesn't matter if you shut down restaurants if later that week everyone crams into houses with people they haven't been isolated with to eat, drink, and be merry. Combine that with the mentioned loose meaning of outside and six feet (some places are measuring six feet from the center of tables, which basically means there's about as much room as normal) and the CDC relaxing quarantine protocols foolishly to 'stimulate the economy', this thing will keep growing.

I will take note of those restaurants willingly defying orders and remove them from my “places to check out” list to be implemented after this is all over. They obviously don’t care about the safety of their diners. Makes me wonder where else they’ll cut corners to save a buck?
Sorry, I know of no restaurant with a menu worth risking my life for nor am I anxious to experience any culinary artistry at the cost of experiencing a ventilator later after the fact.

[Robin Garr]

Here's a good take on all this from Chef BoyLardee at the new local restaurant biz blog The Foil:

https://thefoil.substack.com/p/nine-day ... lL4En2HSUI

Chef BoyLardee

Ettore Boiardi would NOT be happy with this pen name! As a kid I ate at his restaurant (which was fully authentic), and his story is a real American success story. It's too bad that when he eventually sold the company the new owners dumbed down the food and his name became something of a joke (for the former head chef of The Plaza Hotel in NYC and owner of a landmark restaurant in Cleveland's Little Italy).

[Robin Garr]

Good point, Andrew, although don't you think most people know of Chef Boy-Ar-Dee from the once ubiquitious canned and boxed "Italian" sauces and cheeses? I'd say those memories are more justly maligned.