When will restaurants open for eating it?

[Mummypig2020]

When do you think? X

I'll be another dumb one booking a table when they first open....

I can't wait either. Loads of lovely independents where I live....

I love going out for meals and usually go out at least once or twice a week. I won't be going for quite a while yet though. The risk is too high, and I would not be.able to enjoy the experience. I'll definitely be waiting until numbers have gone down loads, even though I am desparate for a meal out.

not much more risky than getting a takeaway or going to the supermarket

The table and chair you're at for an hour or two may not have been cleaned properly between customers.

The toilets you are likely to use may not have been cleaned properly.

The crockery/cutlery may not have been cleaned properly.

That's quite a lot more risk points than a takeway or supermarket shop where you touch a lot less and your interaction with others is a lot shorter time.

We ate out a lot before all this....2 or 3 times a week.
I doubt the ambience will be the same when restaurants reopen and it would put me off. We will support our local restaurant as we have done every week since lockdown

I'm not a fan of eating out but really looking forward to going to the amazing pub/restaurant in my village. It's all set up and ready to go as soon as they get the green light. It couldn't be better set up - massive beer garden that goes all the way around the pub with large tables that were already miles apart from each other. Inside they've put perspex screens up between tables (but not across tables, that would feel like eating in prison. They've set up an app for ordering food and drink and put small 'delivery tables' scattered around the place where waiters and bar staff can put food and drinks down to be collected by customers without contact. It's been on the news/in the papers as an example of the new way.

But smaller, more enclosed places - I don't see how they can do it, tbh.

Yes, can't wait.

It'll be July 5th at the earliest. With perspex screens between tables, skeleton staff, 50% capacity and a clear route around the restaurant. Sounds fun...

Hopefully the middle of July. I think they'll try and get some form of normality back before September, even if places have to open at 50% capacity for a while.

It will certainly be the end of the carvery/self-service style eating establishment. It just would not be possible to have people handling the same utensils and breathing over the open food dishes.

For outside seating soon I've heard ahead of schedule (now the weather has turned foul!) for inside September I'm suspecting. My local council is working out road closure possibilities to facilitate al fresco seating.

Ps our local Italian is doing "takeaway" and people are bringing camping chairs and sitting nearby. Was really nice and everyone 2m apart

@IDSNeighbour

I'm not a fan of eating out but really looking forward to going to the amazing pub/restaurant in my village. It's all set up and ready to go as soon as they get the green light. It couldn't be better set up - massive beer garden that goes all the way around the pub with large tables that were already miles apart from each other. Inside they've put perspex screens up between tables (but not across tables, that would feel like eating in prison. They've set up an app for ordering food and drink and put small 'delivery tables' scattered around the place where waiters and bar staff can put food and drinks down to be collected by customers without contact. It's been on the news/in the papers as an example of the new way.

But smaller, more enclosed places - I don't see how they can do it, tbh.

That sounds about as good as any place will be

However, if any of the staff have CV it's not going to stop the spread with them touching everything. Then customers touching the same things. That's without any direct transmission from them talking to each other

So personally I still wouldn't go, but I wish them well

It's very difficult to run a profitable restaurant, and if they reopen with only half the covers some will struggle to break even.

One of my favourite restaurants has only 4 or 5 tables, it's a tiny space. They do offer takeout so imo they are going to remain closed until things return to "normal" if they ever do

@Rhodri

I think the question is even if they’re open, are you dumb enough to take the risk of going?

Hell yes!

*The table and chair you're at for an hour or two may not have been cleaned properly between customers.

The toilets you are likely to use may not have been cleaned properly.

The crockery/cutlery may not have been cleaned properly.*

I can think of pretty simple ways to deal with all of those myself when I turn up at a restaurant and thereby minimise the risk. Until all this started, I had never fully appreciated how lucky I was as a child to be taught to think for myself and not stand around waiting for other people to hand me solutions on a plate.

@Rhodri why dumb?
This is not ebola, the virus can potentially be deadly for older people, with long term conditions...But it is not for the majority of people.
It could be considered dumb if the OP was 70yo, BAME, with diabetes and hypertension, untreated, and even then it would be Her decision, not need to call anyone dumb.

I don’t see the point in being at home all the time if you are allowed to go out. I’ll definitely go to a restaurant when they reopen! Don’t get me wrong, I agree that lockdown was necessary but that can only be sustained for a short period of time, you cannot be like this for months...and I am not even talking about the economy, it is health, mental health, Coronavirus is not all there is, we are not seeing the bigger picture!

I am very much looking forward to supporting my local Restaurants

ASAP

I can't see my favourite restaurant surviving It's tiny and has no space outside. The food is fantastic and great value but it's not cheap. I don't think it will be viable for them to reopen.

It's always been possible to catch a virus in a restaurant btw... imagine being so paranoid that you refuse to live your life in case you get ill. That's not a life.

2025 but only if you have a death wish

I thought BoJo said that assuming we're on track, then July 4th for some pubs, restaurants, cinemas etc.

That said, he's just admitted that we are still at level 4, not 3 and are easing lockdown, even though we weren't supposed to until we were at level 3....

So who knows. Could be tomorrow 🤷‍♀️

Hope its soon and they hopefully won't be busy given numbers of hysterical people hiding at home

Well, i think we can all wave goodbye to the UK socializing pub industry.

Also, a few restaurants are not even going to be opening back up. There will be a lot of companies (who were not so profitable) that will be using the lockdown as an excuse to go under liquidation.

Theres a few Frankie and Bennie restaurants not opening, Ive also heard that Chiquitos is not reopening.

Hope its soon and they hopefully won't be busy given numbers of hysterical people hiding at home

I know a couple round here are going to be advance booking only. In spite of people on here I suspect it's going to be worse than booking supermarket delivery slots