Which restaurants can you dine in?

[Bullsback]

Looks like the buffets are not doomed, Golden Corral has re-opened:
https://www.ibtimes.com/no-buffet-golden-corral-reopening-heres-how-list-locations-open-2977085

To serve customers without offering a buffet, Golden Corral will offer cafeteria-style or family-style dining. Through its cafeteria-style offering, Golden Coral workers will serve customers as they move through the buffet line while family-style will offer an ?endless buffet? meal brought to tables by a server.

Golden Corral also said it has implemented a series of safety measures at its restaurants, including rigorous cleaning standards, employee temperature checks, hand sanitizing stations, and social distancing procedures. Social distancing methods will include table spacing, floor makers, and beverage delivery.

Not sure why Souplantation gave up... maybe they were struggling prior and this was the final straw. Their model may have more touches than a regular buffet because they more add-ons for their salads and more soups but I think they could figure it out.

I was questioning this as well. Why didn't they just hire more staff and SERVE everyone instead? They were probably operating at a loss or extremely low margins that it didn't make sense to increase operating costs.

https://souplantation.com/about-us/

97 stores x potential modifications for each locations x potential additional staff
Idk

The salad bar already had an entire area in the middle where employees work, so the only real place you would have had to make any dramatic change was on the soup and even than, don't even change it at all, just shift the concept a bit where you wrote down what soup's you wanted and people quickly brought those soups out to you (you could put "s / m / l" or something on them so they could be careful of waste.  If you noticed a lot of massive waste, you could always do what other AYCE places do which is put an excess waste charge on the back-end.

I think the whole concept needs to change. Previously the workers interaction was minimal. The salad bar line would need to be only 1 line or removed. The soup/pasta/pizza area would need to be roped off or plexy glass around it so no one can get in that area or completely removed.

do you realy think you'd have to do that much.  just fully enclose the other end of the glass (with a temporary structure) so that people could see the pizza and other stuff, but air didn't flow through to it.  I say temporary because no way in 5 years are people not going to want to have AYCE still. I mean we already see places like Costco & Sams club starting to prepare for reintroducing free samples (and that has to be far more risky than an AYCE). 

You could temporarily hire more people to assist (so no customer touches/breathes on any group food item) and then with the pizza and other items you just fill out a sheet and they quickly go get it for you and bring it back. You definitely have an increased cost of employees, so I get that, but if they were making some money it is probably something you can slow bleed for a while until things re-normalize.

Their issue had to be they were already bleeding or hemoraging and therefor this would have just made the bleeding/hemoraging fatal. 

 

[eyephone]

DIY serve yourself food concept will not do well in this environment. I will not go to Yogurtland unless the workers get the frozen yogurt for the customers.

Even the self serve soda fountain is questionable as IHO mentioned in another thread.

 

[qwerty]

I like how Taco Bell puts the bags in a rectangular container and puts the container out the window for The customer to grab. So they try to minimize the touch points. Not sure what they do with cash customers.

McDonalds has the best set up still from what I have seen because of their two wimdow system. They put the credit card reader on some handle and put out the window so you can insert your card. They also handle cash there. So at the second window the customer just gets their food. Although the customer touches their hands when they get the drink. Most customers aren?t careful to just grab the drink from the top or bottom so they don?t touch the employees hand. Then when a customer wanted ketchup their was a full hand exchange. I?m guessing they are not switching gloves after each time they make contact with a customer but perhaps they are.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

I think Chick-Fil-A has that plastic box delivery system too.

Not sure how that minimizes touches as the person who puts your food in the bag also touches your bag.

For McDs, I just use the mobile app so i don't even have to interact with the first window... or even the drive thru.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

I notice quite a few fast food restaurants still aren't allowing dine-in.

If Covid isn't such a big deal according to some posters here... whey aren't they?

 

[Ready2Downsize]

I notice quite a few fast food restaurants still aren't allowing dine-in.

If Covid isn't such a big deal according to some posters here... whey aren't they?

Maybe their workers are making more staying at home and refuse to come back?

Maybe they don't have enough funds to restock their food and supplies?

Maybe they don't have enough floor space to have table service?

Maybe you can ask them when you get takeout and report back.

 

[paydawg]

I like how Taco Bell puts the bags in a rectangular container and puts the container out the window for The customer to grab. So they try to minimize the touch points. Not sure what they do with cash customers.

McDonalds has the best set up still from what I have seen because of their two wimdow system. They put the credit card reader on some handle and put out the window so you can insert your card. They also handle cash there. So at the second window the customer just gets their food. Although the customer touches their hands when they get the drink. Most customers aren?t careful to just grab the drink from the top or bottom so they don?t touch the employees hand. Then when a customer wanted ketchup their was a full hand exchange. I?m guessing they are not switching gloves after each time they make contact with a customer but perhaps they are.

I've switched to Apple Pay when I order Taco Bell and McD's the past couple months.  No money exchanging hands, I can customize my order without fear that the order-taker gets my complicated instructions wrong and all I have to do is drive in the drive-thru lane and check-in.  Easy peazy. 

 

[Bullsback]

I notice quite a few fast food restaurants still aren't allowing dine-in.

If Covid isn't such a big deal according to some posters here... whey aren't they?

My view - risk / reward. If they are getting the volumes with drive through, why increase risk that you have to do deep cleanings + the ultimate increase in staffing to ensure you are consistently cleaning everything. To me you just up the anti for how much exposures that could emerge so downside risk seems far more in excess than upside risk.

For restaurants with pretty big spaces, I could see where they have a better capacity for limited seating without a ton of increased costs.  If I'm inn & out or Chik Fil A, I'm probably maintaining pretty solid/decent earnings (drive through still doesn't have the same "throughput" as in-person but they have gotten pretty good at getting multiple taking orders). 

 

[irvinehomeowner]

It was a rhetorical question but Bullsback is correct.

I have asked, and their answer was that they were getting enough revenue via drive-thru/take-out/food delivery services that upper management didn't feel it was necessary at this time to add the extra expense of sanitation/extra protocols considering the extra risk.

One place is an exception... In&Out. Even though they are still doing well via just drive-thru (they didn't even support walk-in take out for a while), they have opened up dine-in. Their solution to the beverage bar is interesting (at least the one I went to)... they have a person there who is cordoned off and they fill/refill the drinks for you. Whenever you get a refill, they give you a new cup.

So yeah, Covid is still a big deal... at least to many fast food places.

 

[paydawg]

how long is the In n Out drive thru these days during their busy times?  Is it 5 mins longer?  15 mins longer?  I've avoided that place since early March. 

 

[Bullsback]

how long is the In n Out drive thru these days during their busy times?  Is it 5 mins longer?  15 mins longer?  I've avoided that place since early March.

I've never waited, but see the one at the marketplace regularly and I've seen it at different points wrapping through the Best Buy & REI parking lot.  My guess was 25 minute + waits, but I did have a friend who went and said the line moves surprisingly quick. Either way - there isn't a fast food burger on the planet I'm waiting / sitting in my car for that long for. 

 

[irvinehomeowner]

I notice quite a few fast food restaurants still aren't allowing dine-in.

If Covid isn't such a big deal according to some posters here... whey aren't they?

Maybe their workers are making more staying at home and refuse to come back?

Maybe they don't have enough funds to restock their food and supplies?

Maybe they don't have enough floor space to have table service?

Maybe you can ask them when you get takeout and report back.

Or maybe, even without a lockdown, businesses will still close/semi-close due to concerns over public safety, lack of customers or both?

There you go qwerty... real-time proof that the economy would still suffer without a lockdown... or that the lockdown really didn't hurt some businesses.

Steering the narrative is a 2-way street!

 

[potsticker]

how long is the In n Out drive thru these days during their busy times?  Is it 5 mins longer?  15 mins longer?  I've avoided that place since early March.

I've never waited, but see the one at the marketplace regularly and I've seen it at different points wrapping through the Best Buy & REI parking lot.  My guess was 25 minute + waits, but I did have a friend who went and said the line moves surprisingly quick. Either way - there isn't a fast food burger on the planet I'm waiting / sitting in my car for that long for.

10-15 minutes. They take your order behind Hopdoddy. I was there yesterday and the line stretched to Hopdoddy's front door.

 

[aquabliss]

how long is the In n Out drive thru these days during their busy times?  Is it 5 mins longer?  15 mins longer?  I've avoided that place since early March.

I've never waited, but see the one at the marketplace regularly and I've seen it at different points wrapping through the Best Buy & REI parking lot.  My guess was 25 minute + waits, but I did have a friend who went and said the line moves surprisingly quick. Either way - there isn't a fast food burger on the planet I'm waiting / sitting in my car for that long for.

10-15 minutes. They take your order behind Hopdoddy. I was there yesterday and the line stretched to Hopdoddy's front door.

That's quite an insult to Hopdoddy.  They should stand outside and try to sell you their $5 burger:https://www.hopdoddy.com/menu/burgers/5sharetheloveburgerdeal/

 

[Bullsback]

how long is the In n Out drive thru these days during their busy times?  Is it 5 mins longer?  15 mins longer?  I've avoided that place since early March.

I've never waited, but see the one at the marketplace regularly and I've seen it at different points wrapping through the Best Buy & REI parking lot.  My guess was 25 minute + waits, but I did have a friend who went and said the line moves surprisingly quick. Either way - there isn't a fast food burger on the planet I'm waiting / sitting in my car for that long for.

10-15 minutes. They take your order behind Hopdoddy. I was there yesterday and the line stretched to Hopdoddy's front door.

That's quite an insult to Hopdoddy.  They should stand outside and try to sell you their $5 burger:https://www.hopdoddy.com/menu/burgers/5sharetheloveburgerdeal/

I've bought the 5buck burger a few times. I almost thought to get out of my car and tell everyone waiting in the giant line that you can just get this burger (which is pretty good) + fries for a similar price. 

 

[irvinehomeowner]

how long is the In n Out drive thru these days during their busy times?  Is it 5 mins longer?  15 mins longer?  I've avoided that place since early March.

I've never waited, but see the one at the marketplace regularly and I've seen it at different points wrapping through the Best Buy & REI parking lot.  My guess was 25 minute + waits, but I did have a friend who went and said the line moves surprisingly quick. Either way - there isn't a fast food burger on the planet I'm waiting / sitting in my car for that long for.

10-15 minutes. They take your order behind Hopdoddy. I was there yesterday and the line stretched to Hopdoddy's front door.

That's quite an insult to Hopdoddy.  They should stand outside and try to sell you their $5 burger:https://www.hopdoddy.com/menu/burgers/5sharetheloveburgerdeal/

404 error.

I guess people prefer a longer wait for a less than $3 burger?

 

[Bullsback]

how long is the In n Out drive thru these days during their busy times?  Is it 5 mins longer?  15 mins longer?  I've avoided that place since early March.

I've never waited, but see the one at the marketplace regularly and I've seen it at different points wrapping through the Best Buy & REI parking lot.  My guess was 25 minute + waits, but I did have a friend who went and said the line moves surprisingly quick. Either way - there isn't a fast food burger on the planet I'm waiting / sitting in my car for that long for.

10-15 minutes. They take your order behind Hopdoddy. I was there yesterday and the line stretched to Hopdoddy's front door.

That's quite an insult to Hopdoddy.  They should stand outside and try to sell you their $5 burger:https://www.hopdoddy.com/menu/burgers/5sharetheloveburgerdeal/

404 error.

I guess people prefer a longer wait for a less than $3 burger?

Hopdoddy's $5 burger isn't just a burger...it is a burger and fries.  I'm still taking the Habit over any of them but thats a other discussion. 

 

[usctrojancpa]

how long is the In n Out drive thru these days during their busy times?  Is it 5 mins longer?  15 mins longer?  I've avoided that place since early March. 

I don't like the fries and long line at the Marketplace In'n'Out so I go to the one at The District. The line is almost always 15-20 minutes long unless you go off hours but even then it'll be around 10 minutes.

 

[usctrojancpa]

how long is the In n Out drive thru these days during their busy times?  Is it 5 mins longer?  15 mins longer?  I've avoided that place since early March.

I've never waited, but see the one at the marketplace regularly and I've seen it at different points wrapping through the Best Buy & REI parking lot.  My guess was 25 minute + waits, but I did have a friend who went and said the line moves surprisingly quick. Either way - there isn't a fast food burger on the planet I'm waiting / sitting in my car for that long for.

10-15 minutes. They take your order behind Hopdoddy. I was there yesterday and the line stretched to Hopdoddy's front door.

That's quite an insult to Hopdoddy.  They should stand outside and try to sell you their $5 burger:https://www.hopdoddy.com/menu/burgers/5sharetheloveburgerdeal/

I've bought the 5buck burger a few times. I almost thought to get out of my car and tell everyone waiting in the giant line that you can just get this burger (which is pretty good) + fries for a similar price. 

And best part you can order it online and do curbside so you don't have to wait long. I always add an egg to my burger, very good!

 

[usctrojancpa]

It was a rhetorical question but Bullsback is correct.

I have asked, and their answer was that they were getting enough revenue via drive-thru/take-out/food delivery services that upper management didn't feel it was necessary at this time to add the extra expense of sanitation/extra protocols considering the extra risk.

One place is an exception... In&Out. Even though they are still doing well via just drive-thru (they didn't even support walk-in take out for a while), they have opened up dine-in. Their solution to the beverage bar is interesting (at least the one I went to)... they have a person there who is cordoned off and they fill/refill the drinks for you. Whenever you get a refill, they give you a new cup.

So yeah, Covid is still a big deal... at least to many fast food places.

One of my friends told me that there were several cases of staff at Mastros and Javiers testing positive for the virus recently. Hearing that makes me not want to do dine-in for a while (mainly because my dad is in a high risk group and I see him a few times a month).