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??

As someone who has to wear them for 12 hour shifts. I don't blame staff for not wearing them it's horrendous. Even worse now it's hot. Supermarket staff soon stopped wearing them in my area anyway

Maybe visors? Maybe just good hygiene? Good distancing! I really don't know what the answers are anymore. What are other countries doing? What seems to be working?

Visors aren’t great, I can’t wear mine as I also wear glasses everything looks distorted

Masks make glasses steam up

Don’t get me started on the bits of material with elastic attached they sell on Etsy type places! Useless

I would much prefer bar and waiting staff to be wearing masks in an enclosed environment.
Yes they can get hot, but managers need to adjust the timing and length of breaks.
I don’t think visors protect others, they are more for your own protection when doing aerosol generating procedures.

Track and trace is a good point actually. If I attend a restaurant and my server has a mask Or doesn't does that change the isolation advice if they tested positive?

Maybe everyone should have masks on? Is it a requirement of staff in non essential shops? I'm confused by rules now....

All staff wearing masks here as they have to. I wouldn’t eat somewhere they didn’t tbh.

I'd prefer not, though I'd respect the wishes of a member of staff to wear one if they wanted.

If I’m wearing a mask, then I think at least it would seem more reassuring when I’m carrying food and drink to somebody. I’m not really thinking about it from the point of view of my own protection I guess.

Whilst I appreciate some colleagues don’t want to wear them, from the elation when they found out they didn’t have to, I admit I felt a bit uncomfortable, because that started me thinking ‘well what if they’re lax with other precautions as well?’ I don’t want to go back to work and feel like I’m making colleagues or customers uncomfortable by my own actions. 😭😭

It’s just all such a minefield isn’t it?! We don’t actually have a date for reopening yet, they’re working out the table spacing and all the other measures, as well as wanting to see how other pubs approach things for a couple of weeks.

I think it's a great illustration sample of England these days that people are voting on this depending on what "makes them feel comfortable" or what is "not nice". I think there have been 65,000+ covid deaths on this island. This is a very serious novel virus. Lift your eyes from this little island and take a look at asia, maybe the BBC could do a nice documentary to help this along. Get a mask on, plus visor/sneeze shield and protect your eyes. These are minor, simple barriers. I think this is not a complex virus if you just do these gestures. Wash your hands too, get some alcohol gel. But the virus is not getting into you via your hands. It is via water droplets, this is not contentious. So yes, I would love it if staff in any consumer setting wore masks and visors, plus clients too. But this is England, so people won't, mate, don't see the point of it ... and so we won't be going to restaurants until 2021+

We in England just love seatbelts and washing our hands. What is it about masks? Like Voldemort, we daren't even use the name - it was euphemistically explained by the government as "face coverings". Asia is looking at us like

I won't be going out to any of these places anyway. I'd rather wait longer and preserve the memory of a normal pub/restaurant experience pre covid.

It's just not worth the risk for the sake of a pint or a meal.

Yes I would. I want all retail and supermarket staff to wear masks most don't.

It seems sensible to me that people serving food and drink wear masks so as not to breath droplets over it.

zaza that’s my feeling too. And I’m saying that from the serving point of view, not the customer.
I have 3dcs, all going back to school next week, just one session a week each. I go to the local shop and supermarket a couple of times a week. So our exposure is slowly going up, never mind how safety conscious we try to be following all the guidelines.

@ChinWhiskers

I won't be going out to any of these places anyway. I'd rather wait longer and preserve the memory of a normal pub/restaurant experience pre covid.

It's just not worth the risk for the sake of a pint or a meal.

This is (sort of) my position too. DH and I love eating out, we research places we want to go to and spend a lot of money in places that we hope to be ‘special’. While measures such as mask wearing and social distancing are in place we won’t be going. Not due to the risk of Covid, but because it just won’t be the experience we look for. And with the additional risk of being contacted to say we have to self isolate as someone sitting nearby tested positive... I’d rather wait.

I wouldn’t care if you wore one or not.
I already and a meal booked out for July and don’t care either way.

No madks just normal please

In the country where i am, all servers wear masks. £600 fine if you don't. Stiffens your resolve somewhat. Customers take of masks once sat down and put them pack on or a new one when tjey leave

Like Voldemort, we daren't even use the name - it was euphemistically explained by the government as "face coverings

to be fair that was to stop people buying medical grade masks

I won’t be going out to indoors places for a considerable time (shielding does big pause until August, and even then it’s essential/important outings only, and only to places which are Covid-safe

As waiters would have to come right up to the table to do their jobs (so

We won't be going out, anytime soon.

I’m due to start back in a pub kitchen next week. Having worn a mask for 3 hours in yesterday’s heat there is no way I’ll wear one in a stifling kitchen

I won't be going out to eat at all until social distancing measures aren't needed. I can't imagine it is going to be a relaxing experience.

bbc.in/3i64gvh

Or in singapore...

Doesn’t mask wearing lower transmission from asymptomatic people? A temperature check wouldn’t pick up someone asymptotic surely?

We rarely eat out is the good news, OP, we're not a typical family. So this is lousy market research talking to me, my family doesn't keep your industry going. I find restaurant meals too salty & over-priced as a rule.

I used to go to work cafe sometimes -- but Im still on WFH orders probably until mid-2021, so no going there. I used to go to pub with workmates, but that won't happen while we are all WFH. Me or DH sometimes cycle with friends, we might go in a cafe for hot chocolate. we won't care if staff had masks on then (or not).

Adult DC are drinkers & go for meals with friends. They won't care if servers in pubs have masks on (or not).