There seems to be a paradigm shift in the way we eat, the place where we eat and most importantly as to what we eat as a result of coronavirus. While countries are slowly beginning to lift lockdown restrictions, foodies are slowly checking on their missed experiences and among these experiences dining in their favorite restaurants and with their loved ones tops their to-do list. Simultaneously, restaurant owners, chefs and hosts are all looking at innovative ways to re-create the fine dining experience in the same way as before but much safer than before. It could be from checking temperature of every customer to adding glass blockages between tables they are looking at every creative means of abiding to social distancing norms.
Overall food and dining have always bought people together in the past but with the lockdown still to come to an end, its going to be challenging for the whole world.Challenges of social distances in restaurants would also mean shutting down of smaller businesses where making changes is not feasible. While the ones who will survive will have a Herculean task of revising their norms, policies, timings, approach and sometimes even the menus which is the most important factor in bringing in increased footfalls.
In countries like Thailand, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, restaurants have started functioning with very well-groomed social distancing norms. Replacing waiters with robots, use of plastic barriers and making small cabins for small groups, innovations are happening quick and fast. In India installations of scanners, thermal checkups for both the staff and customers are the new normal. Disinfectant sprays and sanitizers are now an essential necessity just like water being offered for free in many restaurants. Some of the restaurants have already planned for advance table reservations and menu’s WhatsApp(ed) to their number instead of handing physical menu. All in all, things are transforming to make dining a safe experience.
Innovative and New dining Experiences from Across the World Plex'Eat shields individuals from infecting each other while eating. Created using plastic lampshades, they are currently used at H.A.N.D restaurant in Paris, France.A restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, has dragon cartoons on one side of the table encouraging customers to sit on the other vacant sideseparated “Greenhouses” in Amsterdam has separate cubicles for social distancing amid a beautiful setting in the backdrop. In Austraila, Five O Clock dining has cardboard cutouts of famous people at empty tables so that customers don’t feel that they are eating alone in an empty restaurant.The Penguin Eat Shabu hotpot restaurant has now plastic barriers added to its table in its dining room.The restaurateurs are taking the challenge head on fully aware that this would be the last sector which would be allowed to open after lockdown. The food industry is one of the largest employers of people but with these norms restaurants are going to think of lesser staff, menu changes, home deliveries and so on. But it’s a fact that the dine-out culture will not die out since every sector is taking time to come to normalcy after the lockdown. This major culture factor will chug the restaurant owners to be positive and cheerful.
Socializing is necessary requirement for humans and it’s a proven fact that we are all social animals. It is just that when situation normalizes people will have to get accustomed to the in-room dining experience through contact less service & other norms. There is a need to survive this pandemic and they will.
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