July 8, 2020,
Feelings of civilized reassurance surface that we are above the animals, when as humans, we engage in fine dining.
Upscale movie scenes are filled with those pecious moments.
Hopefully our lives as well.
Some of those special moments can change our lives forever.
Now it appears that the COVID 19 pandemic may have changed dining in restaurants forever.
Many had to close during the lockdowns. Some are finally starting to re-open. The question is are consmers open to the idea of going back to restaurants? The fear is the risk of contracting the COVID 19 virus from food and patronage contact.
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The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has this to say about that concern.
At cdc.gov they explain, “Corona viruses, like the one that causes COVID-19, are thought to spread mostly person-to-person through respiratory droplets when someone coughs, sneezes, or talks.
It is possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object, including food or food packaging, that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. However, this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that handling food or consuming food is associated with COVID-19.
After shopping, handling food packages, or before preparing or eating food, it is important to always wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
Remember, it is always important to follow good food safety practices to reduce the risk of illness from common foodborne pathogens.”
There is no evidence to suggest that the virus spreads through the touching of foods prepared by others but there is no hard evidence to suggest otherwise either since the virus is so new.
This is a little reassuring.
The CDC adds, “The risk of getting COVID-19 from food you cook yourself or from handling and consuming food from restaurants and takeout or drive-thru meals is thought to be very low. Currently, there is no evidence that food is associated with spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.”
Okay we feel better. A little.
In terms of dining out, let’s examine the new normal a little closer.
Zagat Future of Dining Study Shows Significant Shift in Dining Behavior Resulting from COVID-19
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Study of Nearly 7,000 Diners Shows:
Diners Plan to Wait and See: 93% Plan to Wait More Than 3 Weeks Before Considering Restaurant Visits. 20% to Wait More Than 3 Months;
Health and Safety Procedures Are Paramount to Restaurants' Reopening Success;
Cooking at Home and Restaurant Home Delivery To Directly Benefit Long Term From Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
NEW YORK, June 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As the United States begins to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers place health and safety as their main focus in making decisions on whether or not they'll dine in restaurants, according to a new study of nearly 7,000 Americans, released by restaurant discovery platform Zagat today.
The Zagat Future of Dining online study was conducted in May and distributed in partnership with the James Beard Foundation. The results included 6,775 consumer responses. 76% of respondents reported that pre-COVID-19 they dined out 2 or more times per week. A complete summary of the Zagat Future of Dining study can be found via Zagat Stories here.
Among the Zagat Future of Dining study's key findings were:
- Health and Safety Is Paramount - 3 in 4 diners cite health and safety concerns as the biggest deterrent to dining out, far outweighing financial reasons. Outdoor seating and reduced restaurant capacity are most likely to increase comfort levels and influence return. 83% of those not immediately interested in returning to restaurants will be made more comfortable with social distancing measures and masks worn by staff.
- Consumers Taking a Wait and See Approach - The study clearly showed that diners miss restaurants and the entire experience of dining out, but when restaurants reopen, comfort levels vary. 2 of 3 diners are planning to wait more than a week to return to a restaurant. Of those, 93% will wait more than 3 weeks and 20% say they'll wait more than 3 months.
- Cooking and Home Delivery Surge - As expected, consuming meals at home has become a much larger part of consumers' lives during the crisis. In terms of economic impact, 51% of people are very/somewhat likely to reduce spend on dining. Grocery shopping, along with streaming service subscriptions and contributing to investments were the areas of spending least likely to be cut. In addition, restaurant delivery continues to grow. 69% of consumers ordered delivery pre-COVID-19 growing to 88% during — a +19% increase. Of those not dining out immediately, 82% will continue to order delivery/takeout.
"Restaurants play a vital role in every neighborhood. This study serves as further evidence that COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the people, businesses, and the communities that rely so heavily on their operations," said Chris Stang, chief executive officer, Zagat and co-founder of restaurant discovery platform, The Infatuation. "Our goal with conducting the Future of Dining study was to help understand the COVID-19 related challenges that restaurants face in hopes that the local, state and federal government will identify ways to assist the industry in returning to operation safely and rebuilding itself to best address consumers' needs."
In order to spark dialogue between chefs, industry leaders, and diners, the data sourced from this study will be shared as a resource for the James Beard Foundation's Open for Good initiative, which helps independent restaurants survive, rebuild, and thrive.
Information from this study can also serve restaurant owners in discussions with government officials at the local, state, and federal level to best understand the support the industry will need to operate their businesses successfully, while ensuring consumers feel comfortable.
During the pandemic, Zagat has highlighted chefs and restaurants discussing the impact of COVID-19 on their business, partners and communities, via its Zagat Stories platform. Zagat, along with its parent organization, The Infatuation, has raised awareness, funds, and offered media and promotion at no charge in support of restaurant workers, the industry and the community-at-large for the James Beard Foundation and World Central Kitchen.
Press Contact: Michael Sinatra - sinatra@theinfatuation.com - 551.574.8031
SOURCE Zagat
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https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/food-and-COVID-19.html
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