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A few words about eating out these days

A few words about eating out these days
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  • A few words about eating out these days

    Post #1 - May 7th, 2021, 6:30 am
    Post #1 - May 7th, 2021, 6:30 am Post #1 - May 7th, 2021, 6:30 am
    Be generous in every way and if you can't, stay home. Over tip and under expect. Grade on a curve. If you make reservations, honor them. A chef buddy on a recent weekend had 40+ no shows and that is BULLSHIT. Few have been hit harder and mean more to us than food workers. Golden Rule it and pay it forward.
    "In pursuit of joys untasted"
    from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata
  • Post #2 - May 7th, 2021, 6:55 am
    Post #2 - May 7th, 2021, 6:55 am Post #2 - May 7th, 2021, 6:55 am
    Well said
  • Post #3 - May 7th, 2021, 10:25 am
    Post #3 - May 7th, 2021, 10:25 am Post #3 - May 7th, 2021, 10:25 am
    My god, I've never skipped out on a reservation without calling to cancel, but it's unimaginable today. Unbelievably disrespectful.
  • Post #4 - May 7th, 2021, 10:37 am
    Post #4 - May 7th, 2021, 10:37 am Post #4 - May 7th, 2021, 10:37 am
    He's so worried about offending his customers he won't consider asking for a cc deposit. I told him some customers aren't worth having but then, I'm not paying his rent.
    "In pursuit of joys untasted"
    from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata
  • Post #5 - June 9th, 2021, 12:51 pm
    Post #5 - June 9th, 2021, 12:51 pm Post #5 - June 9th, 2021, 12:51 pm
    Yeah, the transition back to 'normal' is going to be a slow one. I hear from just about every owner/operator I know that labor is very difficult to find. As such, once capacity restrictions are removed, a lot of places still won't be able to operate at pre-pandemic volumes. Simply put, they can't staff for it. And who can blame the women and men who've held these physically demanding, low-paying, no-benefits jobs for reconsidering their options right now? The industry reckoning that many thought was coming seems to have stalled out somewhere between recognition and resolution.

    Relatedly, as a customer, I'm more than happy to go with the flow. Seeing the big picture makes it easy to understand why a place may not be operating at a peak level right now. That's okay. There's a lot of great reasons to eat out and not everything has to be perfect for it to be a great decision.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #6 - June 9th, 2021, 1:01 pm
    Post #6 - June 9th, 2021, 1:01 pm Post #6 - June 9th, 2021, 1:01 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:The industry reckoning that many thought was coming seems to have stalled out somewhere between recognition and resolution.=R=


    The model is broken. It will take a lot of grey matter to get it put right which won't happen w/o a huge societal change in our concept of value.
    "In pursuit of joys untasted"
    from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata
  • Post #7 - June 9th, 2021, 2:41 pm
    Post #7 - June 9th, 2021, 2:41 pm Post #7 - June 9th, 2021, 2:41 pm
    Some places are "suffering" from an embarrassment of riches. A local place that was literally scheduled to open on the first day of lockdown pivoted to the takeout model very quickly and eventually to an outdoor seating configuration. Their problem is that the kitchen was configured/sized for their indoor capacity and now that they have effectively doubled their service volume it's slowed down service overall. A good problem to have in light of the alternatives, but one that will soon lend itself to an unwanted reduction in customers.
  • Post #8 - June 9th, 2021, 7:57 pm
    Post #8 - June 9th, 2021, 7:57 pm Post #8 - June 9th, 2021, 7:57 pm
    We were passing through Madison, WI last week and stopped for a meal. Almost every dining establishment along East Washington Street had a Help Wanted sign. We picked a family-friendly spot and upon approach were confronted with a notice on the front door stating that they were understaffed and to expect slow service. I appreciated their honesty. We did not enter as we were expected at our final destination at a certain time range and opted for a quicker alternative. Had we not been pressed for time I would have been a patient customer. I agree with Jazzfood that the model is very broken. I would love to see it change but have difficulty seeing a new reality that would work for all. It saddens me. We have exposed our daughter to a variety of cultures simply through their cuisines in Chicago neighborhoods. We will continue to support our favorites.
  • Post #9 - June 10th, 2021, 7:14 am
    Post #9 - June 10th, 2021, 7:14 am Post #9 - June 10th, 2021, 7:14 am
    We've dined inside restaurants just a few times now, and while we didn't see any posted signs of reduced service, we're definitely not feeling the hospitality. And it's all little things, but it accumulates to make it a less wonderful experience: water glasses aren't filled; burgers overcooked; salad comes out same time as the main, etc.

    An exception: Al Bawadi Grill in Des Plaines hit every mark two weeks ago, with wonderfully friendly service and all the food perfect. Marred only by staffer's lax mask use (some below-the-nose, a lot of taking it off to talk to each other) -- if vaccination status is good, I should have no worries, but for now I have worries.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang

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