Texas restaurants want to seat customers again. Here's how they plan to do it

[TexasTowelie]

Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Friday he would ease some coronavirus restrictions, such as allowing state parks to reopen, permitting retail shops to reopen through “to-go” service, and letting health care providers perform some elective procedures.

The reopening of restaurants, however, did not make the cut.

In response, the Texas Restaurant Association, or TRA, released recommendations on how restaurants in the state could reopen for dine-in service. The TRA will share the plan with elected officials, and hopes that restaurants will be allowed to reopen soon.

“Texas restaurants are struggling to survive from one day to the next, and so we were hopeful for greater clarity from Governor Abbott about safely reopening our restaurant dining spaces today,” the association said in a written statement. “However, we appreciate the Governor’s creation of the Statewide Strike Force to Open Texas, and we will work closely with these experts to assure our leaders that Texas restaurants are ready to serve our communities while keeping everyone safe.”

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/food/restaurant-news/2020/04/17/texas-restaurants-want-to-seat-customers-again-heres-how-they-plan-to-do-it/

Okay, they will have to reduce seating capacity by about half in order to maintain proper social distancing requirements. The servers would also have to spend more time disinfecting the seating and tables. Menus, credit card readers, and the machines that the servers use to place the orders would also have to be disinfected frequently. The food preparers would also have to follow hygiene procedures more frequently. That means that the restaurants would likely operate somewhere between 20% to 40% of normal capacity. Is that going to be sufficient to cover payroll and overhead (which will also be more costly)? Will it be worthwhile for the employees to participate if their income is reduced significantly? It all seems like a stretch to me.

[mr_lebowski]

1. On top of all the points you mention, how many people are really going to want to go sit in a

restaurant and eat right now?

I mean, probably in the first couple days they'll be swamped just from pent-up demand/boredom on the part of the public.

But I'd guess people are going to realize quickly that it's not worth the risk. It's not going to be a relaxed experience, everyone is going to be paranoid about everything ... people will expect servers to be in masks ... but they'll get uptight over other customers wearing/not wearing masks ... they'll wonder are the cooks in back wearing masks? Are the tables wiped down well enough? Are the menus safe to handle? Do I want the server touching my plate? My credit card? Etc, etc, etc.

I really don't think dining out is going to be a pleasant experience for many, and people will go back to ordering take out and delivery pretty quickly is my guess.

[tanyev]

9. Even if you wear a mask, you'd have to take it off to eat and drink.

I feel for them, really I do, but it's going to be a long time before I feel comfortable eating inside a restaurant.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. I think you're right, leb..., it does make you wonder who in the world is pushing for all of these .

businesses to open, regardless of whether the country is ready or not, and regardless if CV tests are made available. These people advocating for opening things back up have revealed in truth what they are really interested in, money and profits over human life.

I don't see tons of people pushing to go racing back to work, despite the lack of money...I think that its more of a don't work or die situation, which these idiot republican governors and rump are pushing for.

Again, proving to all that they are NOT listening to us or the medical experts (where are the tests?).

The republican $millionaires and/or $billionaires (their donors of course) don't care about everyday Americans but instead, they care more about the stock market and their businesses than US (everyday Americans). But
that is okay, let them cower at home in their mansions, while we are carefully in the front lines, voting these pathetic POS out of office everywhere.

This is truly what the republican party has turned into:
(1) the party of 'get sick, then die!';
(2) the party that represents only 1% of Americans (can you guess who?);
(3) the 'I don't care what you think' party;
(4) the 'party that tells its donors how to grift more money from my government contracts';
(5) the 'I don't care what you think' party;
(6) the 'you don't have deserve a right to vote' party,
(7) the 'all other Americans than republicans are crooks and liars, and there is massive voting fraud';
(8) the party that in the past advocated zero deficit spending (raised taxes/fees to cover new spending).
NOT ANYMORE!;
(9) the party that still pushes red button issues, despite the fact that there are far more pressing issues to deal
with;
(10) the party that got us into numerous wars, still never paid for any of it;
(11) the party that has Roger Stone on its side. Have you listened to this nut? Have you listened to
any of them? They're all nuts and all they are is a stupid cult (they claim)...its a bunch of idiots who
pulled a fast one on all of us, along w/ some outside help. It WON'T happen again. The number of
voters at the polls come Nov. 2020 will literally overwhelm any attempts to cheat locally (which we know
will happen knowing the cheaters that have already been caught cheating at the voting booths, all
republicans!
(12) The party of deficits, not just financially but morally too. We had almost (and its probably over now)
40,000 deaths, from the CV, yet rump wanted this to 'wash' over all Americans. REALLY?! Do you want
this guy to really be our president if he's so f**king nonchalant w/ our lives? Think about it;
(13) I could go on and on, I originally didn't plan on so many subtopics, but they kept coming and coming...
What a disaster the gop and rump are for this Country. Everything they've advocated for in the past has
all been thrown out the door along w/ the bath water. What does this party stand for? A reckless
disregard for human life and dignity obviously.

[Croney]

3. All it takes to prove their idiocy is for someone to

sit down and eat, go home, get sick, and sue the restaurant for putting them in danger. Or they die, and their family sues.

I guess they could make you sign a legal contract when you walk in the door, absolving them of your possible death. That sounds appetizing.

[sop]

7. This pandemic will be a nightmare for insurance companies, policyholders and claimants.

Losses arising from risks such as global virus transmission and pandemic are normally excluded under both commercial liability and business interruption insurance coverages.

Thousands of claims have already been made by commercial policyholders for business interruption losses resulting from the recent government mandated closures. Insurers would cover such losses if the shutdowns occurred as the result of a named peril, like fire or storm damage. But, in cases of war, insurrection and global pandemics, insurers usually do not afford coverage.

That goes for 3rd party liability claims as well. Moving forward, insurers will probably notify their commercial policyholders that liability claims arising from virus transmission will not be covered. Reopening certain businesses may not even be possible, given the potential liability risks involved from virus transmission, both to customers and employees.

[Croney]

8. Very good points.

[hlthe2b]

4. Nuts. I'd be hesitant to even eat outside with less than about 14 feet separation.

[duforsure]

5. What has to be done first is mass testing before anything is reopened

Otherwise you'll have people showing no signs and symptoms increasing dramatically the spreading of this virus. Having less than 1% tested and doing this will backfire badly , and Abbott and trump again will be complete failures causing many more to suffer and die from their incompetence. Their rush is politically motivated while ignoring public health . Just look how they are trying to starve the people back to work , while giving billions to millionaires instead of the people and to small businesses, and claiming its economically based, and wouldn't be if they gave millionaires nothing and they reversed the trump and gop tax scam bill giving billionaires billions yearly like the Walmart family.

[Cattledog]

6. The virus can be spread by airborne particles and ventilation systems.

So how will you eat with a mask on?