Has dining changed forever? Looking at the long-term future of restaurants

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Has COVID-19 changed the world of dining forever, or will things go back to normal once a vaccine is available?

We asked Ivy Tech culinary department chair Watez Phelps, deputy mayor and Reopen Evansville Task Force member Steve Schaefer and long-time restaurant owner Fernando Tudela what they saw in the future of the restaurant business.

Phelps, who has worked in the food industry for almost 50 years, is educating a future generation of cooks, chefs and restaurant managers. He takes that future seriously.

“Things have got to change, no question about it,” he said. “We can’t afford to do business as usual anymore.”

He sees necessary changes in the realms of sanitation, new business models, and, at least in the short term, assistance for small restaurants making big changes.

“Every employee will have to have training on how to keep customers and themselves safe from pathogens,” he said. “Right now, there are no rules saying that an employee cannot wear their uniform outside the workplace. Think about the number of pathogens that could be picked up, for example, on crowded public transportation. We need to be on a higher level when it comes to serving food goods.”

Alongside intensified sanitation, many restaurants are already making more sweeping and long-term changes.

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Schaefer noted that some are asking guests to scan a QR code to retrieve the menu with their phones rather than printing hard copies.

In The Cross-Eyed Cricket and Comfort, Tudela has installed ultraviolet light air purifiers in the HVAC system, so that all air that passes through it is cleansed of bacteria. He has even installed smaller fans under each booth to draw air out of the building, so it doesn’t circulate.

If the number of people allowed inside a building is permanently diminished, restaurants must find new ways to make money. No business can survive without a profit, and profits in restaurants are notoriously slim at the best of times.

“They have added curbside service and more outdoor seating, but more is needed,” Phelps said. “Family-size to-go meals have been successful, somewhat on a microscale, although some businesses might start specializing in that. Walk-up windows are a proven success, and we’ll see more of those. And, we need to look at how catered events are organized. It is very hard to make a profit in a restaurant without catering and/or an alcohol license, and we’ll have to figure out how to organize them.”

A rise in prices might be inevitable if smaller gathering sizes become permanent.

“When you take the seating capacity away, a lot of people will be very hurt, and we’re right in there,” Tudela said. “We’re doing whatever we can to keep things afloat. We have to keep the fans running all the time, and that’s an expense, and do you know how expensive these masks and wipes are? Food costs have gone up. We have to find a way to offset the costs. Right now it’s, 'How can we pay our employees, pay for the food, and pay the bills.' We’re not  worrying about making any money but trying to just not lose any money.”

Tudela said he is considering adding the successful family-size take-home meals to the menu full time, and can even see some restaurants being for seniors only in the future.

The city has temporarily permitted businesses to expand outdoor seating and allowing them to serve more diners.

“It’s not just adding to the number of diners, but it gives the customer more confidence,” Schaefer said. “What we’ve seen in workshops and town halls are restaurant owners planning for the future. They’re making 'what if' scenarios, so if this happens again, this is how our business model will change.”

Phelps also desires a source of assistance for small restaurants that need help adapting but can’t afford consultants, a bunch of research and development, or outside training for staff.

“It does come down to money,” he said. “The current rule that one person in the establishment must have a food handlers’ certification is not enough. Everyone should have one, even the dishwasher. We need resources and a brain trust for the small places that can help them come up with a model that will work.”

In a nutshell, while nobody has a crystal ball, everyone is planning, adapting and hoping for the best.

“We’re being really optimistic that we’ll have a vaccine and this will be one of those history lessons that we learn from and overcome,” Tudela said, “but at the same time it’s prepared us for other situations that might come about. There are so many things we’ve learned that we didn’t take seriously before. With time, I think there will be some sort of normalcy, although I don’t know if the new normal will be exactly what it used to be. We’re praying that this is one of these things we get through, but it’s very hard.”