The new normal going forward

[Robin Garr]

So Game still lives? But it appears that they're putting their effort into Hammerheads to ride out the storm?

The Inn at Little Washington has taken mannequins in 1940's clothing and placed them at every other table, thus leaving all open tables six feet apart while maintaining/increasing the ambience of the restaurant . . . just a different way, rather than using tape or removing tables.

https://www.washingtonian.com/2020/05/1 ... annequins/

:cry: So Game still lives? But it appears that they're putting their effort into Hammerheads to ride out the storm?

I read they’re closing MIGO at Douglass Loop and will rebrand it as Hammerheads.

[Robin Garr]

:cry: So Game still lives? But it appears that they're putting their effort into Hammerheads to ride out the storm?

I read they’re closing MIGO at Douglass Loop and will rebrand it as Hammerheads.

Yes, I think that's buried in another thread somewhere on the forum. Very sad. I loved Migo and really regret that I didn't get there more often.

:cry: So Game still lives? But it appears that they're putting their effort into Hammerheads to ride out the storm?

I read they’re closing MIGO at Douglass Loop and will rebrand it as Hammerheads.

Game was sold to a new owner. I'd found Migo on a real estate site shortly before we had Adam at a photoshoot. When we asked him about it, he hinted that there were changes coming and that he'd appreciate if we'd stay quiet about what all was up in the air. By the looks of it, neither of the other brands had buyers.

Reporting back in as promised!

After a full week of being open under the "new normal," I am pleased to report that for the most part, things are surprisingly the same. We had a fully booked house all nights except Thursday (?). Lunches were much slower than expected, but with everyone's routine disrupted and many still working from home, the business lunch isn't a thing again yet. Dinners, as stated, were plenty busy, even at 50% capacity, and honestly I'm not entirely sorry for it. After 6 weeks of rust accumulation, going right back into the weeds, on top of some of the restriction changes, would have likely been a disaster. It's kinda hard to compose this in a way that makes sense, so here are some bullet points from the "new normal" (keep in mind, I'm in IN, where things are a bit more "normal"):

Masks: Are a nightmare in the kitchen. Several of my employees had to take a few extra breaks just from the restricted breathing caused by wearing them in a hot, busy, stuffy kitchen. I personally attest to them being a real big pain in the butt. You have to stop every few minutes to take them down, taste or smell something, then replace them, then change gloves or sanitize your hands, then get back to work. This slows things WAY down, particularly during the rush. And, again, they are very, very hot. My crew was really good about adhering to the policy, though and took it all very seriously. They are not ideal for kitchen use. Servers had a different issue, mostly being heard while trying to speak through them. This quickly becomes a trade off between social distancing and mask wearing. You can't hear them when they are far away AND wearing a mask, so they either have to shout, get closer, or remove the mask. Our FOH team were really troupers though and battled through it. However it's funny, when, after service, they all walk around still shouting, even when masks are off. On the upside, our servers managed to acquire a wide variety of decorative and interesting-looking masks, so we're not coming off like dining in the ICU. Overall assessment: I hate the masks. They suck and they make it hard to do a good job, but they are required, so what are you going to do?

Extra cleaning measures: Absolutely no issue here at all. Our staff was prompt about keeping everything completely clean and sanitized before, during, and after service. I certainly do not mind having a super extra clean restaurant to work in.

Social Distancing: Also not really much of an issue. We measured and marked off the dining room before we re-opened and tables and chairs remained at safe distances at all times, even when fully booked. If a table or chair was moved out of bounds, it was easily reset by FOH during the turn. Having a host/hostess play traffic cop made sure we never had groups of people milling about waiting for or getting to seats. And again, 50% capacity wasn't necessarily a bad thing here. We took reservations all week just to give us better handle on crown control and management, but will likely only take them for large parties going forward. There was also a good mix of take-away business interspersed with the dine in business.

Customers: I was kind of surprised, because no issue here either. Everyone was on their best behavior and respected the rules and restrictions. We do not require masks on guests in IN, so participation varied, but there were no issues with anyone not being respectful of others or making any kind of trouble. Honestly, it felt like EVERYONE was just super pleased to be out and able to eat at a restaurant again.

Pre-Shift Checks: Honestly, these were the hardest things to remember. When staff shows up, it's usually time for work, not time to play 20 questions and fill out paperwork, so a lot of times it was, "you're here? Great! We need a full sheet pan of oven roasted potatoes on the fly." And then a half hour later "oh, yeah, sign this thing that says you're not dying of the covid." We have a small staff, so I see the same people every day and they already know not to come to work if they are even remotely, kinda sort sick, so this extra layer of documentation seems silly. But again, what you gonna do.

Employees: To that point, I am proud to say my staff was great about all the changes. Everyone was dedicated to doing it right and following the rules, even the ones they didn't love. Heck, things were so normal, I even had two potential hires not show up for their first shift and one line cook call in Saturday night. Some things never change...

Final Appraisal: Dear lord it was nice to be back to work in a very real sense. Carry-out only was a nice life boat, but it was not as fulfilling as being in a bustling restaurant with happy diners and crazy restaurant employees.

That's everything I can think of right now, as I sit here exhausted and nursing some lower back pain. I've got two days off (well kinda off, I have to do food costing and inventory and ordering...) and then it's right back to it! If I left anything out or if there are any questions or concerns, I am happy to respond. Mostly I want to thank everyone who (safely) came out and make this re-opening week a success for our small restaurant. It's so good to be back!

[Robin Garr]

Great report, Ronnie! Thanks for taking the time to give us all the details. Much appreciated.

Ronnie, thanks for giving us the great update on the situation at your restaurant. We are looking forward to having the restaurant open on the side of the river also. It seems like you are not having any problems with the 50% capacity limitation, not quite sure why Kentucky is limiting to 33%. Seems like as long as you can maintain the appropriate distancing the percent of capacity shouldn't be an issue.

Hope you and all of your staff stay healthy and that things keep moving forward.

Hearth on Mellwood gone, Chik n’ & Mi moving in.

[Robin Garr]

Any more info, Justin? I wonder if it's a move, or opening Chik'n & Mi II?

[Robin Garr]

Here it is! Dang, I hate it when people make announcements with images of a sheet of paper. Good thing I'm a fast typist.

Dear Friends,
It is with a heavy heart we announce that we are closing Hearth on Mellwood Eatery. Though this has been a difficult time for local businesses, we are happy to share that we are relocating our sister restaurant, Chik'n & Mi, to the Hearth location, just a short distance from the current Chik'n & Mi location. This is a neighborhood we have come to love and which many of us call home. We consider our customers to be friends and family to us and we thank you for your unwavering support through the years.
We will honor previously purchased gift cards from Hearth at Chik'n & Mi. The new address is 1765 Mellwood Ave.
This friday, May 22, will be our first day of beginning our normal dining service and we hope to see you there! Of course, our curbside and to-go pickup will still be available if you are still apprehensive about going out.
Our hours will be as follows:
Monday-Friday: 4 p.m.-10 p.m.
Sat: Brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m., dinner 4-10 p.m.
Sun: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Check out our new menu too!
https://www.facebook.com/chiknandmi/pho ... =3&theater

Kaelin's has a plan

covid.jpg (81.09 KiB) Viewed 6242 times

[Robin Garr]

Good work, Kaelin's! That looks pretty much like Guvner Andy's plan, but maybe even a little more strict.

V-Grits/False Idol Brewing said on Facebook that it's closing temporarily because an employee (who was asymptomatic) tested positive for coronavirus. I respect V-Grits for its strong response, and being open about this. I suspect many other restaurants will face this situation in the future.

"We love and appreciate each one of you, our customers and friends. Unfortunately we need to close the restaurant and brewery until further notice. Because you deserve our transparency - one of our team members has tested positive for covid19. They were not showing symptoms and had not been in the restaurant for a week prior to testing positive. We closed and notified staff as soon as we found out. All of our staff will be tested, asked to self isolate, and the restaurant will be throughly cleaned before we even consider reopening. We except to be back open in 2 weeks."

It's not the first time this scenario has been addressed, but this piece covers a restaurant superspreading event from China in detail. Recirculation of air (vs natural ventilation) seems to be a huge factor in how much viral load someone is exposed to and therefore their chances of contracting COVID-19 from another diner. Especially so with restaurants, where it's not possible for diners to wear masks that would otherwise significantly reduce aerosol spread.

Are restaurants in Louisville aware of this issue and doing anything to address it? Are they making that clear to patrons? What happens with places where good ventilation isn't possible?

https://english.elpais.com/spanish_news ... msyrMhyLFk