[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by veeru27

Cafe owner here.
We depend solely on tourists.

Feel terrible about your predicament - on the one hand, you needed to keep the café closed due to the extended lockdown, and on the other, you don't have local clientele as much as tourists even when you are allowed to open. You don't have many takeaway customers, do you?

To be fair, this thread does show how deeply scared everyone is about visiting restaurants and picking up an infection, and the degree of mistrust there exists between the customer and the cook / chef / waiter. Not many cooks in India are trained, far less certified in food handling and HACCP regulations. Maybe a time will come when this would become necessity.

In any case, takeaway items of hot foods are absolutely fine to consume, and in case there is any doubt, the food can be nuked (aka microwaved ) for 30-60 seconds before consumption, to render all viruses and other microscopic and sub-microscopic life forms absolutely dead!

[roby_dk]

Voted No, I can't take that risk.

Even if they take umpteen precautions I am not comfortable to eat inside a restaurant and would strictly advice not to do so to my family members as well. In case you are really craving or dying to eat your special dishes you can order it and have it at home peacefully. Maybe quarantine them after they are delivered for some hours just to be extra careful.

[srishiva]

I have ordered a couple of times including pizzas twice. I alone handle removal of food into plates/containers and then wash hands.

There is a good hotel nearby. Had gone to get parcel. The people who pack the food cant keep the mask ON continuously for 2 minutes. They keep pulling it down to talk. Some have thick kerchiefs and they keep pulling down from nose to breathe. Its really a risk and hope for best.

[harry10]

Originally Posted by RM Motorsports

Few COVID-19 preventive measure which the restaurants have across India.

To be honest I will never enjoy eating like this. Eating out, going to restaurants, cafes, pubs is a fun activity. All this paranoia and fear in your heart even when you are eating just isn't worth it. I agree with many people here. If you are desperate for outside food just order at home, sanitize the containers, microwave the food and then enjoy. Personally I am holding out as long as I can.

[Samurai]

At my home we have been ordering food via swiggy and dunzo throughout the lockdown. No, we haven't gone into sanitizing the food, etc., didn't think it was practical or useful to be that paranoid. I have even done takeaway from Apsara Icecreams, Toit and Brewklyn.

But visiting a restaurant to eat there is pointless right now, with all the mask requirement and AC. I'll stick to takeouts and takeaways.

[MCR]

I feel there is no point going to restaurants now. Me and wifey have managed to cook almost all delicacies we want to eat, at home. We have not hesitated to experiment with variety and quantity. We now are confident of cooking anything using recipe available on internet / youtube videos and are able to make our own suttle changes to improve the taste. We have also invited close relatives over for lunch (unlock 1 phase) and they were impressed with our cooking.

Have no confidence with Swiggy/Zomato having seen the way these guys handle the food packets.

So, no ordering / buying food from restaurants for us. Atleast for a coming few months!

[amods]

Not going anytime soon.

Reasons:

1. Wife and I can cook almost anything we crave for, and have done that in the lockdown.
2. For last month, we've been ordering food ~2 times a week from our local restaurant - mainly because it serves great food, delivers in straight 15mins and we want to support local business.
3. No problem with zomato/swiggy as well, have used their services and experience was great. We sanitize all the packing/boxes before opening food, so no issues here.
4. Even if travel by road is normal(no mandatory quanrantine) in best case, we would prefer to carry our food or buy packed ready made food from roadside.


Main deterrent here is that we would need to touch surfaces(tables/doors/taps/utensils) in dine-in places.

There is absolutely no worry if food is hot and served in my(own) plate.

[Raghav96]

Originally Posted by amods

We sanitize all the packing/boxes before opening food, so no issues here.

How do you sanitize the boxes? Sanitiser, diluted dettol solution or something else?

Thanks in advance.

[pganapathy]

Left up to me I would happily eat out and don't really care/panic about the virus. I know my wife is more fussy though, so it would depend on whether she is willing to go out and risk it

[AirbusCapt]

Guys, this virus is an airborne respiratory virus and it cannot be transported via food or drink. Having said so, it's a bad idea to sit in an enclosed space with other people especially with air-conditioning. A takeaway or eating out in an open space should be ok. An open air resturant should be quite safe as long as hygiene and social distance is maintained and you eat and drink hot stuff.

[JojyKerala]

Voted "Yes".

On the prowl for a restaurant that has taken maximum precautions. Chose one yesterday and merrily parked the car and walked to the restaurant when I spotted a staff member standing outside and merrily picking his nose.

Rushed to the car and drove back. The wait continues - hopefully will find the right place this weekend.

[akash.1318]

Originally Posted by GTO

Neat one , but it will only help in preventing the spread from the guy sitting opposite you, not beside. See how close the dudes are sitting side-by-side. The partition should be extended on the side to cover their entire body (laterally).

I remember seeing this on a news segment from some local news channel here in Bangalore, and the reason cited was that it would be difficult to extend the acrylic partition beyond the table as it will cause inconvenience while getting in and out, as it would require constant meddling with the partition. FYI most of these old styled restaurants/fast-food here in Bangalore usually have the system where you would have to share the table with other eaters and aren't given your own. I think this system will have to go away to make the limited sized partition more effective.

[Fury]

I went to a pizza hut recently since I had a coupon that I had to use before it expired. I was planning on getting a take-away and had no intention of dining in. They are taking elaborate measures for everyone entering the place, including santiser, temperature check and social distancing on the order queues.

Even though they were open for dining, I saw no one dining in and its not surprising either primarily due to fear of safety and secondarily due to the extream heat inside since they are not allowed to run with air-conditioning.

I think for the foreseeable future, dining in will be a last resort to most people, till all this blows over.

[laser2707]

Eating out was one of my favorite pastimes. Alas, with COVID-19, it will be a long time before I venture back into a restaurant.

I have ordered some takeaway since the lockdown was eased. Even that I am not sure was the right thing to do. For quite some time it is going to be home-cooked for me & my family.

I realize the restaurant business is hurting. But I can't take any foolish chances. So I will pass every time one of my favorite eating joints push notifies me they are back in business.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by pganapathy

Left up to me I would happily eat out and don't really care/panic about the virus. I know my wife is more fussy though, so it would depend on whether she is willing to go out and risk it

Pretty much the same. With suitable precautions - masks on when not eating, own sanitiser bottles and wipes - I can't think of it being much more unsafe than buying groceries, where people are jostling you in aisles. Anyone who thought most restaurants were super clean before COVID has clearly not been to the kitchen of one, up to a 5 star hotel.

Also, I was vehemently against the prolonged and mismanaged lockdown for economic reasons. I love eating out, and I intend to support this industry as best as I can. If nothing else, I will be ordering in from my favourite places, with adequate precautions.

I don't think restaurateurs and food industry workers are stupid, to carelessly put themselves in danger.