Eating out - will you want staff to wear face masks?

[daisydalrymple]

I’m just wondering what people’s feelings are towards bar and waiting on staff wearing masks, once pubs and restaurants reopen? Would you prefer they did or didn’t wear a protective face mask?

I work in hospitality, we haven’t reopened yet, but our bosses have told us we will not be wearing face masks, as they want our customers to enjoy the true pub experience they love us for, with great food and drink in a relaxed atmosphere, which they don’t think will be possible if staff are wearing masks.

They’re working on other recommended safety measures to be in place, staff having temp taken on arrival, hand sanitising on arrival and throughout shift, social distancing with tables etc.

Most of my colleagues are relieved they don’t have to wear a mask, whilst a few are extremely concerned that they can’t. Whilst I appreciate the company want things to get back to normal for our customers, it’s obvious things aren’t ‘normal’ as they were pre-lockdown. I’m wondering if they’re right in thinking customers won’t want a mask wearing server, or if people would prefer the reassurance of knowing people carrying drinks and food have their mouth and nose covered??

[lljkk]

Most people in my house make their own meals. Just evening meal to organise & 1 extra is most we've had to deal with.

By the time you've traipsed somewhere (& back) & waited for the food - cooking at home is a lot quicker.

I have fussy eaters so less menu headache to navigate at home, either.

[TheLegendOfZelda]

No masks as standard but if someone wants to wear them it shouldn't be forbidden. I'm not eating out there though. I'm saving my money for places that create what for me is a welcoming environment. If it feels stressy, that's not relaxing for me. They can serve the covid fearful and make their money that way

[okiedokieme]

It doesn't bother me seeing ppe but those who rely on lip reading, and in noisy places many of us do, clear visors or masks should be used

[daisypond]

I’ve never been to a coffee shop - don’t like coffee - and wouldn’t eat lunch there. I live in central London, so there’s lots around. I choose not to. We like cooking and make better food at home than at the average mid-range restaurant we’d ever go to. We don’t do takeaways either. Horses for courses, of course. My university children are home too, and they like cooking too. We’re fighting over who gets to cook here!

[Mascotte]

I cannot bloody wait to eat out!

I go out to cafes and lunches regularly with my dcs, DP and friends.

[HoldMyLobster]

Really? I hardly ever in a restaurant or go to a cafe. Maybe once a year. Going out is a treat for most people, not something you do every week, or even month. The amount of cooking and shopping we do hasn’t changed

I'd say I've been making 50-60 more meals per week than usual. Not because we typically eat out a huge amount, but because I have so many extra people home full time who usually would not be here.

Most of my friends are in a similar situation with university kids home, high schoolers home all day, etc.

[BluebellForest836]

Really? I hardly ever in a restaurant or go to a cafe. Maybe once a year. Going out is a treat for most people, not something you do every week, or even month. The amount of cooking and shopping we do hasn’t changed

Most people I know go out for some form of food or drink every week.
Coffee shops Are weekly at least and I have lunch sometimes too while there.
Meals out every couple weeks normally and it’s pretty normal to go out for a meal to mark a birthday or anniversary which would be more then once a year.

I don’t know anyone that only goes out for food once a year.

[daisypond]

Most people in the UK that I know are absolutely sick, sick, S-I-C-K of eating their own cooking, constant clearing up, constant washing up, all the extra grocery shopping.

Really? I hardly ever in a restaurant or go to a cafe. Maybe once a year. Going out is a treat for most people, not something you do every week, or even month. The amount of cooking and shopping we do hasn’t changed

[HoldMyLobster]

Most people in the UK that I know are absolutely sick, sick, S-I-C-K of eating their own cooking, constant clearing up, constant washing up, all the extra grocery shopping. If you've been stuck in that rut for weeks and then you walk past restaurants serving food .... few people will resist for long.

Yes - it has been so lovely not to have to cook especially as during lockdown I've been feeding 4 adults and 2 teens every day and they eat. so. much.

[lljkk]

I prefer our food at home over restaurants anyway, true.

I rarely go to restaurants bc they are expensive and too salty & I hate to see the buckets of food chucked away by many diners -- but also most of my meals out are with work colleagues & I'm ordered to WFH for foreseeable future, so there is no Work social life to lead to a restaurant meal.

I guess if we (my household) travels & haven't brought sarnies or can't get take-away we might eat indoors somewhere. We might travel in August. Any holiday place we stay will be s/c.

[Derbygerbil]

@blubellsarebells

I also walk miles a day in my job and i dont think masks would be comfortable on a long shift or safe once its been touched.

As i posted earlier, this idea that masks shouldn’t be worn to protect others because they’re not safe if they’re touched is a bit like someone in a science lab saying “people don’t always put the lid properly on the lead canister containing the radioactive material, so best to just leave out it on the side”.

[Bellossom]

I'm surprised so many people are against it. The only reason I'll be wearing a mask when I go back is out of respect to anyone in serving. There's proof it can protect others by me wearing one purely by reducing the droplets. I couldn't be that selfish to not.
I hope something shifts in the UKs way of thinking so more companies encourage it a lot more strongly and it is more normal

[BendyLikeBeckham]

Staff wearing masks. I am sure you are lovely but I don't want you breathing all over my food and drink thanks.

[Kokeshi123]

My personal theory is that if the UK made masks mandatory for restaurant staff, most of the people saying I WILL NOT PAY RESTAURANT BILLS TO BE TREATED LIKE A BIOHAZARD would quickly cave and start going to restaurants with masked waiters before long, unless they are among the minority of people who rarely visited a restaurant or cafe before lockdown anyway, like my parents.

Most people in the UK that I know are absolutely sick, sick, S-I-C-K of eating their own cooking, constant clearing up, constant washing up, all the extra grocery shopping. If you've been stuck in that rut for weeks and then you walk past restaurants serving food .... few people will resist for long.

[CoronaIsShit]

It should be mandatory, especially for food and drink servers.

I’d feel better knowing that if a waitress coughed or sneezed while carrying my food to me, in a viral pandemic which is spread by coughs and sneezes, that it was contained in a mask rather than over my food .

I don’t get why anyone wouldn’t want them worn!

[blubellsarebells]

I work in hospitality and have no intentions of wearing a mask when i return to work.
I wouldn't go out to eat myself paying to be served by people in masks, i go out to relax so would rather wait until things feel safe enough not to wear masks.
I also walk miles a day in my job and i dont think masks would be comfortable on a long shift or safe once its been touched.
Obviously i cant stay 2m away from my guests because my arms are not 2m long so there will be a risk.
Of course if someone wants to wear a mask they should be allowed to.
All of my colleagues that have already returned are wearing visors and i think that's a good compromise.
Along side lots of handwashing, keeping distance where possible and temp checking.
I cant wait to get back to work and hope lots of people will be wanting to visit us.

[HoldMyLobster]

I'm reading that in Maine you could get haircuts since end April.

Yes, we've been reopening for over a month now, depending on which part of the state you are in. I had a haircut the other day. The woman cutting my hair, and I both wore masks throughout. I feel so much better now especially as it's been in the 30s here.

Maine gyms opened almost 2 weeks ago -- what are the mask-wearing rules at the gym? Are indoor swim pools open & what are the mask-wearing rules there?

Gyms are open but with fairly strict rules. Typically they're requiring patrons to book in advance, limiting numbers, and requiring people to keep 14' apart if they're not wearing masks. Most exercise classes are outdoors. Locker rooms and showers are not available. Pools generally are not open but there is a whole set of rules for when they do open.

It looks like your schools stay closed since March. What are the future plans in Maine for school education, will kids have blended learning, PT, wear masks?

School districts are planning for 4 scenarios - fully online learning, 20% of students in school, 50% of students in school and 100% of students in school. The Maine Dept of Education will make the final decision about which of those happens in September. Plans include all employees wearing masks, and students being encouraged to do so. There is much more in the plans - I actually have a 36-slide PPT I just looked through today. We also added $500k into our school budget for the year for Covid-related responses.

[OrangeBlossomsinthesun]

The govt should just make it mandatory. Here in Spain it is in all enclosed spaces. You get used to it.

[birdlady12]

As an employee of a restaurant in France who has to wear a mask constantly it is hard work. Having it on my face for 12 hours a day in 34° heat is not fun. If it wasn’t compulsory I would not wear it.

[lljkk]

I'm one of the people with sharply reduced income due to the Lockdown measures. So... that's a huge extra reason to not spend extras or eat out.

I'm reading that in Maine you could get haircuts since end April.

Maine gyms opened almost 2 weeks ago -- what are the mask-wearing rules at the gym? Are indoor swim pools open & what are the mask-wearing rules there?

It looks like your schools stay closed since March. What are the future plans in Maine for school education, will kids have blended learning, PT, wear masks?

[Drivingdownthe101]

Yes that’s what I meant really, I won’t be eating out while all these additional measures are in place. Happy to wait until it is (what I consider to be) a pleasurable experience.

[HoldMyLobster]

Of course - no one is forcing you to eat out.

I've really enjoyed being able to get back out and start doing the things we did before lockdown, like eating out, shopping, planning DD's return to university, getting my eyes tested. I'm happy to wear a mask to make those things possible and relatively safe. It's working out well here - we're not looking like Florida or Texas, and for that I'm grateful.

[Drivingdownthe101]

I can accept I’m a potential biohazard and will act accordingly, but I won’t be going to a restaurant and paying for the privilege of being treated like a biohazard!

[HoldMyLobster]

I'm in Maine. Accepting that we're all potentially biohazards is an important part of reopening IME. Reduces the risk for everyone.

[lljkk]

Where do you live, Lobster?
I don't eat out much but the idea of having to treat myself as a biohazard is creepy, doesn't encourage me or anyone else to eat out.