Dining Experience post COVID

[FalguniP]

Hello Local Guides

Things around us have changed quite a lot post lock down.

Here in Mumbai, restaurants have been working only for takeaway and delivery for quite a long time.

Many local restaurants closed down, many of them changed the dining experience by launching free home delivery, drive through dining/ pick up, discounts and promotions.

As per the new guidelines when restaurants were allowed to open again, I was super excited to go and eat at the places which I had marked in my want to go list on maps.

The dining experience changed a bit post COVID

Many restaurants got creative and adapted to the changing time and need. At the same time it’s easier to find safe places to eat on maps with the highlight that shows the health and safety measures at the restaurant.

More questions are added to yes and no questions related to the masks, sanitizer, social distance and line before entering.

Here are a few things that I found common at many places.

1. Details and Temperature check- as soon as we visit any restaurant the first thing they do is temperature check and write name and contact details. This is to track the contact.

2. Sanitization - the sanitizer are kept right at the entrance, near the billing area, the staff entrance and the A/c section.

The staff cleans the tables using sanitizer.

3. Limited capacity- to ensure the safety and follow the guidelines the restaurant was offering limited dining, which made the wait time a bit more than usual.

Many of them are operating at 50% capacity where they keep alternate tables to maintain distance.

Some restaurants also set up a limited time per table.

4. Mask - All restaurants and food corners have made it compulsory to wear a mask while they visit.

5. Drive through and pick up, delivery - many restaurants have started drive through, pick up of online orders, they also started delivering to distant places.

6. Digitization -

Restaurants made it easy to order and pay online using an online menu and QR code.

Many of them started their own apps to place orders. Which makes it safe and contactless ordering

7. Use of disposable plates and glasses-

Many fast food corners have switched to paper plates and glasses to make it single use and safer.

8. Encouraging vaccination -

Restaurants started offering discounts to people who are vaccinated for dine in, takeaway as well as delivery.

They made sure the staff was vaccinated.

9. Contactless delivery - the food is nicely packed and kept in the bag handed over or kept on the table outside the restaurant to make sure of contactless delivery.

10. Unique packaging -

To make the takeaway experience unique, restaurants come up with creative packaging, meal boxes, and cute packaging.

Even with all the changing things they are learning new ways to make customers feel safe and have a great dining experience.

What changes have you noticed in your recent visits?

What changed in the restaurant and food corners around you?

[Sophia_Cambodia]

@FalguniP How is the situation at your place these days regarding to Covid-19?

[NareshDarji]

A lot has changed because of COVID-19. Hotel and restaurant owners now have many offers to attract their customers. One such experience happened last month when I went to a restaurant with my friends for the first time since the epidemic. I first checked the necessary information about the place on Google Map and I was really surprised that they are following the rules accordingly. @FalguniP

Thanks for sharing this post.

[Gezendunyali]

*Yes, everything has changed a lot, even it has been terrible. I went to the restaurant for the first time in the past months to look around. I didn’t even eat my food properly, I hope we can end this fearful disease as soon as possible​:woozy_face: @FalguniP *

[Rohan10]

Hi @FalguniP . Very nice post giving information about updating dining experience due to protocol of Covid-19. During my recent visit to Banana Leaf, Borivali West I noticed they allowed very limited guests, outdoor seating was prohibited, online payment methods were encouraged to use, safety protocols were displayed.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us.

[Kunjan811]

Hey, @FalguniP !

Many things have changed after the lockdown was relaxed and the intensity in Corona was reduced. I’m happy the restaurant owners embraced these adjustments so quickly. These similar precaution modifications were also observed recently in Vadodara eateries.

[AnshukMitra]

Nowadays even small food courts practice hygiene standards which is very good and have switched to digital mode of payment. Even most of them decided not to increase the prices so that customers do return. Whenever I get time, I do visit food courts and local restaurants as they are the lifelines of the city.

Which is your favourite street food @FalguniP ?

[FalguniP]

@Sophia_Cambodia

The situation here is all mixed up.

But still most of the restrictions are eased up.

Fully vaccinated people are allowed to visit malls and use public transport. But it is advised to be precaused.

How’s the situation there?

@NareshDarji exactly!

They want to promote people to get vaccinated and at the same time make sure the make dining experience safer for all.

Google maps provides safety information and also helps to know rush hours which makes it easier to choose the place.

[Sophia_Cambodia]

Same here dear @FalguniP we can go to work but the numbers are getting higher - now that we are learning to live with it.

[OlgaKlimchik]

@FalguniP Thank you for sharing your experience with us

[FalguniP]

@Rohan10

Amazing! Thanks for sharing your experience. Banana leaf is one of my favourite place, I have been to the other branch earlier.

Have you checked the maps feature where they show COVID protocol followed by restaurant.

Also we can know about how busy the place is at certain time and day so we can plan accordingly.

@AnshukMitra

Exactly buddy! Local restaurants and food courts and food corners are lifeline of the city.

I love to try different food or at least try same dishes at different places.

Few of my favourite are:

Chaat ( pani puri, dahi puri, sev puri etc)

Sandwich ( I love to have masala Toast and grilled sandwich most of the time)

Misal pav/ vada pav - mumbai street food is incomplete if you don’t eat them

Momos are a new addition but due to covid many of my favourite are closed.

What’s your favourite street food?

@Kunjan811 can’t agree more many restaurants and business owners have adapted to the change and many of them now use Google maps to update their information.

I am sure you are having a safe dining experience and sharing about the same in your reviews too

@Gezendunyali I am sorry to hear about your experience! But I am sure the business owners are also struggling to keep moving while following the guidelines.

It will all be good soon

[PaulPavlinovich]

Its quite a different world now isn’t it @FalguniP @@ In the few times we’ve not been in lockdown our indoor dining experiences are similar. The only real difference is that our state has an app and check-ins are done using the app and scanning a QR code for tracing.

Paul

[AnshukMitra]

Manchurian, Momos, Nasta(Pakore with dal which is popular here), Kachori, Shawarma Rolls and the list goes on and on I love street food @FalguniP

[BudiFXW]

Thank you for sharing about dine-in in your country with detailed photos @FalguniP .

@360bymiftah share experience to have lunch with me in chicken fast food restaurant after Indonesian govermen loose the tight regulation of Covid-19 health protocols.

Here we are in the front of Chicken Fast Food Restaurant (Taken by @360bymiftah )

Protocols is same with what Falguni shared.

Something funny for me is table with four chairs can be used by two, the two chairs is mark with red sign and tighten with plastic rope so the chairs still there but can not be seated.

Like @NareshDarji said there so many new regulation rise up for Covid-19 health protocols and in my country the Covid-19 Task Force can fine and close restaurant if the restaurant disobey the regulation.

Rising crowd is the most issue for the restaurant, not because of dine - in but rise crowded of delivery courrier that awaiting to take away food is happen.

Like @Rohan10 and @Kunjan811 said that restaurant change the way they do bussiness to adopt with COVID-19 heath protocol by rducing dine-in capacity and shorten dine-in service, andorse take-away and delivery.

In my country digital payment like @AnshukMitra grow significantly, for on-line ordering restaurant and delivery services

How about Dine-in in at Cambodia @Sophia_Cambodia , and your hometown too @OlgaKlimchik and @Gezendunyali ?

[Gezendunyali]

Always @BudiFXW

[OlgaKlimchik]

@BudiFXW It’s interesting to know the situation in your country.

To tell you a truth I wrote this answer some posts below, but I had deleted it just a day before yesterday.

You know against the background of the situation in world, my words sound like a mockery. Moreover I’m afraid to scare off luck with my words, because we can still follow the example of other countries and I think we will follow one day. Now every additional day is a luck.

We never had any lockdowns or quarantines, nowhere and not a single day. We live almost usual life. All shops, cafes and so on work as usual. Of course people avoid crowded places themselves, so some cafes had to close their business because of lack of visitors. Children study at school as usual. The first spring 2020 parents had right to take their children from school and let them to study themselves, but it was only parent’s responsibility, no special online studying, children which desided not to study at home continued their studying at school. After it all children study only at schools and it’s great.

The people were recommended to wear masks in transport, shops and organisations only in November 2020 and only some days ago (the 9th of October) we were obliged to wear masks and fines were annonced (big enough, till about 300 Euro).

Government organisations demand their staff to be vaccinated but it’s not officially yet and you may refuse.

Neigher vaccines nor tests or QR-codes are demanded anywhere. You can go freely everywhere you want. Only hospitals demand tests if you need some regular operation.

With all this picture I can’t say we have more cases than others. Of cause people get sick, the amount of cases is not little. But people get sick everywhere.

I can’t compare the situations because different countries count differently and I see that statistics in my country is very strange, nobody pretend to write a truth. But I speak with my sister in Ukraine, chat in different groups, see the situation around me… All is the same. So I am happy we haven’t strict demands till now. But to be honest not all are happy. Someone thinks we would have better situation if we were closed in our homes and all would be vaccinated, they demand strict measures. Who knows… I am not an expert and don’t see the whole picture.

[BudiFXW]

Yap @OlgaKlimchik .

This situation is beyond my perception too, hope the world will be better and we taking care ourshelf by minimizing to go to creowded places.

Take care and stay healthy.

[OlgaKlimchik]

@BudiFXW At least I am sure people are wise enough to take the decision about their risks themselves.

[BudiFXW]

Agree @OlgaKlimchik .

I like your wording “wise enough” .

Keep calm, stay healthy and always be happy.

[FalguniP]

@BudiFXW same is here too.

Many restaurants are allowing to use table for 4 as table for two.

And some keep a gap of tables in between.

Menu and ordering has also become digital.

Mask, temperature check is most important.

@PaulPavlinovich yes a lot of tracing is done using online tracking, here the malls ask for vaccine certificate if you want to enter.

They scan and verify the same to keep the contact of everyone visiting.

Things have changed and also the way we contirbutes impacts.

I also notice many people now asking questions on maps about the vaccine certificate to enter a place or availability of dine in.