There's no better way to take advantage of great weather than to dine al fresco, enjoying food and drink under the sun or sky, possibly one of the few upsides to this new way of life. And we have a few recommendations on how to enjoy the experience while staying safe. We know that you’ve heard them all so consider this a friendly reminder!
As we mentioned in our Instagram post of June 28, restaurants are focused on creating safe spaces for their employees and customers. And as patrons, we need to do our part to mitigate risks during this incremental process known as reopening/recovery. There are several factors to consider when it comes to dining out again, like: is it safe? Mask on or off? Cash or credit? Paper or virtual menus? Take-out or dine out? Making the decision to support our locally owned businesses is not a complicated one but still requires a generosity of spirit and a commitment to a holistic strategy by taking these precautions:
wash hands and use sanitizer
wear a mask
maintain physical distancing
consider the flow of people in and out of a space
consider the waiting area of restaurants
manage the use of bathrooms
Keep in mind that servers and other employees face an increased chance of exposure as well. The very fact that these essential workers risk their health to make our experience memorable, it’s even more critical to do our part by trying to reduce that chance. That means not going to restaurants if we’re unwell, avoiding touching our face, and practicing good hand hygiene. It could also mean making a conscious effort to reduce the number of times we have to interact with restaurant staff. When waiters come to our table and interact with us in proximity, as an example, that waiter is being put at risk. Remember that it’s not just the restaurant’s responsibility … it’s those of us frequenting these spots who have just as much of a responsibility, if not more.
Finally, a generosity of spirit also extends to material generosity. One of the ways restaurants work to keep us safe is by reducing the number of diners that they serve. In doing so, restaurants will likely still see reduce revenue, and servers who depend on gratuities still may not earn as much, so tipping is more crucial than ever. Now let’s be safe and enjoy the experience! Bon Appetite!
UPDATE 2021:
There's a definite chill in the air, not to mention the wind and occasional snow flurry. But that's winter at The Shore and we are happy to report that quite a few restaurants from Asbury Park to Bay Head have done their absolute best to keep the dining experience memorable (in a good way!) and safe by following the state mandated guidelines for outdoor dining. Ingenious and creative additions such as individual heaters, canopies and intimate lighting supported by a plethora of hand sanitizers, masked wait staff and factitious anti-bacterial wiping of table and chairs following each gust/s departure. If we all do our very best to support local restaurants, arguable the hardest hit industry during this pandemic, they will be there for us on the other side of this challenge.
