While carryout and delivery options have been making up the most of our restaurant experiences for the past several months, places are opening back up in various stages while keeping everything safe, and people are once again enjoying restaurants and new restaurants.
We’ve all been supporting our favorite restaurants through takeout and online orders, but there are certainly those who are searching for new dining experiences and are looking to branch out.
There’s the question of how to go about exploring new restaurants and look for new unique opportunities while staying safe and healthy. We’re all very confident of our well-known places following guidelines and keeping our best interests in mind, but for places we’re unfamiliar with, it might be another story.
Fortunately, The Preserve Sporting Club & Residences has been considering these same questions when opening dining options at the property. Knowing that people are considering these questions when it comes to luxury dining means we’re thinking about them too. For those who are curious not only how The Preserve is handling dining but how you can take precautions on your own, we compiled this list of handy ways to approach dining in unique new restaurants.
1
Research New Restaurants Online
When looking at unique new restaurants, it will help to look at their website ahead of time before deciding to give them a try. Beyond looking at the menu and drink options, most restaurants are now displaying the safety measures they’re taking to facilitate outdoor and indoor dining options according to the guidelines.
Most of these precautions will include:
- Keeping tables far apart, more than six feet
- Staff and customers wearing face coverings
- Extra care spent disinfecting and cleaning tables in between parties
- Operating at a smaller capacity than usual to minimize the number of patrons at one time
Beyond simple cleaning and spacing, it also helps to look into how the restaurant handles air quality and circulation. Well maintained HVAC systems are quintessential in maintaining a clean atmosphere, and even if COVID weren’t an issue, make for a pleasant dining experience.
2
Explore How The Staff Approaches Cleanliness
A huge part of every dining experience is the staff. Beyond the food and atmosphere, what makes a luxury dining experience truly incredible is how the staff interacts with and accommodates you. In the past, this largely was relegated to dining requests and great service. In the age of COVID-19, this has expanded to include how they ensure the safety and health of all the customers.
Knowing that the staff is taking extra care to clean the tables and eating area between parties can bring peace of mind to diners. Knowing they’ve increased their cleaning frequency and have increased the methods they’re using to clean surfaces shows that it’s a place worth patronizing.
Additionally, knowing they’ve reduced the amount of “shared” surfaces, such as serving spoons, ladles, menus, condiment bottles, or shared food containers and have instead moved to disposable options or digital menus.
3
Ensure All Necessary Precautions are Taken
Ahead of time, before going out to eat, it helps to make sure that all the necessary precautions on your end have been taken for both yourself and the members of your party. This means ensuring everyone has a face mask and a bottle of hand sanitizer before heading out.
On the part of the restaurant, making sure everyone is using gloves, wearing a face covering, and regularly washing their hands means you will have a clean and safe dining experience.
4
Extra Things to Pay Attention To.
Some of the smaller things to pay attention to and keep in mind when dining out is to try and keep your parties as small as possible. If parties get larger than 4 to 6, the risk starts to get high, and restaurants might not be able to accommodate you.
Additionally, it can help make sure you have a container of hand sanitizer or sanitation wipes to ensure your own hands and surfaces are clean before sitting down.
The good news for those concerned about virus transmission from food is that experts say there’s no evidence that this is possible. While handwashing is always encouraged before and after meals, the food itself will be just as delectable as ever.
If you found these tips helpful and would like to explore more about The Preserve Sporting Club & Residences, including our luxury dining options and unique restaurants, contact us today to learn more.
By Charle Drago
