Fresno-area restaurants are reopening very soon. Here’s what dining out will be like
Fresno restaurants will be allowed to open for sit-down dining very soon – but it’s going to be a whole different experience than you’re used to.
The days of packed restaurants, customers seated elbow-to-elbow on bar stools, and congregating as they wait for tables won’t be returning anytime soon.
Restaurants will reopen seating far fewer people, and with lots of a precautions in place as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Don’t be surprised to see employees wearing masks and gloves, lots of cleaning and new technology that restaurants didn’t use the last time you dined in.
Restaurants across California have been preparing to open ever since the state released 12 pages of guidelines for restaurants to follow May 12. Each eatery will likely have their own spin on how they handle the recommendations.
Brewpubs, breweries, bars, pubs, craft distilleries, and wineries that don’t serve sit-down meals must remain closed.
Seating
The state and county don’t give a specific percentage of customers that a restaurant can serve – say, 50% of its normal capacity – but instead instruct restaurants to seat customers so that they are six feet apart from others and employees.
For some restaurants, that will mean removing tables, or marking some as closed. Some restaurants may use Plexiglass barriers between booths or at cash registers.
Bar areas should remain closed, along with salad bars, buffets and self-service soda or frozen yogurt machines, according to the state.
Expect servers to wear gloves and face coverings like masks, said Chuck Van Fleet, president of the Fresno chapter of the California Restaurant Association and owner of Vino Grille & Spirits in northeast Fresno.
“All your employees are going to have masks,” he said. “It’s going to be a not-very-personable experience. There’s not going to be anything on the tables.”
Silverware and glasses will come after the customers sit down. No napkin holders will be on the tables. The state recommends restaurants not use shared condiments like salt shakers, opting instead for single-serve packages or disinfecting condiment bottles after each use.
Many restaurants will switch to reservation only, while still handling takeout and delivery orders.
Trelio, the tiny upscale restaurant in Clovis, hasn’t set an opening date yet, but plans to start small.
The restaurant has eight tables. They are already six feet apart, but owner Chris Shackelford plans to seat people at a table only once per night, with a likely maximum of four people per table. Reservations will be staggered so people aren’t showing up at the same time.
“Everyone will have their own private spot for the evening that no one else has sat at and it’s been completely sterilized. Not a 10-minute space between people, I want a full 24 hours between,” he said. “It just seems so much more safe to me.”
Other restaurants will likely opt for more frequent seatings, with tables and chairs disinfected between each seating.
Trelio won’t go back to being open seven days a week, instead opting to be open four or five days a week.
Menus
And the restaurant won’t have any physical menus. Instead, it will have customers scan a QR code with their phones, or go to its website to see its menu.
Some restaurants may have customers text a number that sends a link to the menu.
The state says restaurants can also provide disposable menus that are thrown out after each use, or if that’s not possible, menus that can be disinfected after each use.
Expect to see lots of outdoor seating – possibly in new places.
City Councilmember Mike Karbassi proposed a bill Thursday that would allow restaurants to offer outdoor seating in areas not currently licensed for it, possibly including parking lots.
Waiting for a table
Waiting for your table will be different too. The state instructs restaurants ask customers to wait in their cars or otherwise away from the building and alert them via cell phone when their table is ready.
Customers should wear face coverings when not at their tables.
Other technology may pop up, too, like the device Fresno-based OnDisplay is selling that Sakura Chaya Tokyo Cuisine in Clovis plans to use. It scans customers’ faces, checking their temperature and counting the number of people in the restaurant.
Anywhere customers line up should be marked off in six-foot increments.
Most restaurant owners are eager to open, but some may take a few days to prepare, said Van Fleet of the restaurant association.
Restaurants will have to balance indoor dining with the continued takeout and delivery orders, he said. That could lead some to electronically pause take out orders on apps or websites if their kitchens get overwhelmed.
Van Fleet expects restaurants to be busy for sit-down dining when they first open. But he’s also hearing from plenty of customers who say it may be a while before they’re comfortable dining in.
“They need to know that the restaurants are doing everything they possibly can to be safe, for not just them but for their staff,” he said. “We don’t take this lightly.”
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 5:35 PM.
