Places are starting to open back up again. Just finding a place that’s open for sit down eating is challenging. Dining out has taken a whole new flavor.
Even though establishments are allowed to open, not all are. And as we stated in our last blog post The Light at the End of the COVID-19 Tunnel, you’ll need reservations. So much for showing up with a nominal wait. Those days are gone. At least for now.
With the State of Pennsylvania guiding this yellow phase, restaurants have new protocols to follow. Most of them are very specific, almost all apply more to the restaurant than they do with us as individuals.
Reservations
You’ll need reservations. Yep.
Without reservations, restaurants are not allowed to serve you. No more walking up unannounced. If you come spur of the moment, even if they have an available table, the restaurant is not allowed to serve you. You’ll very politely be asked to leave and call in for reservations. Our guess is that the state put this into place more for tracking purposes.
The mask
Wearing a mask to get in – this one shouldn’t really be a surprise. You’ll need to wear a mask as you walk from the car up to the hosting station. From there you wear your mask to the table. Once at the table, you’re free to take the mask off. If you need to leave the table for any reason (you left your credit card in the car, you need to use the bathroom, etc.), you have to put your mask back on. This is actually not as difficult as it sounds, you just need to be respectful of the protocol.
There’s a time frame
Your time is limited – you’re not going to get 4 hours to enjoy your meal, at least for the near future. More like minutes. So you’re going to want to check out the menu ahead of time to see if you can narrow down your selections. You might run a little short of time like we did at The Four Dogs Tavern, so we had our dessert and dessert cocktails to go. For us, that was just part of the adventure.
How does safety work
Safety precautions – don’t expect the really cool menu in the jacket. Four Dogs offers a better really cool menu via scan code! They do offer paper menus that they throw away as soon as you’ve touched them, but if you have a smart phone, why would you bother? Save the world one printed page at a time!
All the staff, from the servers to the kitchen, wear masks.
They sanitize the table and chairs after you leave.
How does seating work
It’s outside only – at least for now, dining is strictly outdoors. The tables are properly distanced so as to allow diners enough space for “social distance eating”.
If it rains, be prepared. Either go or don’t go. The Whip canceled their whole first night due to the weather (their outdoor seating is more open). We actually It is kind of fun to eat in the rain under an umbrella. Getting a little wet isn’t really an issue for us.
Negotiating the New Protocols
Keep in mind, every restaurant that’s opening in the yellow phase has new things to deal with. They’re still good at preparing your favorite food. However, now they have to work through the new protocols, something they’ve never had to do before.
One major takeaway? Go with the understanding your experience will be different, because the restaurant’s requirements are different. They are all still trying to figure it out. S
And don’t forget as well – because they are not fully open, the owner of the building, the owner of the restaurant, and all the staff are probably not yet realizing their full income. While they are happy to be open, that doesn’t translate to making the same money.
So to the best of your ability, be kind and generous! Consider ponying up a larger than normal tip to help out the servers who have been out of work for weeks now.
We will say unequivocally, it’s still a great experience to go out to eat. We certainly enjoyed the adventure.
It really does sound like more than it is. Realistically, it’s a small adjustment to the diner’s reality. The restaurants are doing the bulk of the work.
It does change your experience, but it’s still very much enjoyable!