LA Eateries Face Challenges As Indoor Dining Returns After Hiatus

The world is currently in the throes of a pandemic, and this one is not like any other, one prominent feature being the restriction of social contact and the promotion of isolation. While industries across the world suffered and people had to deal with the rising numbers of employment, the eateries industry was also greatly affected. Since there were restrictions on social gatherings and crowds, many restaurants and cafés had to close down or operate only for take-away and delivery.

Pexels | Slowly but surely, all crowds vanished from eateries in 2020

Los Angeles restaurants and cafés had to suffer a similar fate. The pandemic had a devastating effect on indoor dining, but times are about to change since the vaccines have been rolling out for months now. Public places can start opening up again, and states have already begun lifting restrictions.

Soon, eateries will be able to host 100% of the customers, and they will not be required to wear a mask only if they are vaccinated. This is great news for people and businesses struggling due to isolation.

Pexels | People are excited at the prospects of dining out with friends and family again

Nevertheless, many challenges are bound to come up when eateries finally reopen, like the following:

1. The Outdoor Dining Situation

Many business owners decided to keep their business afloat by introducing outdoor dining. Since outdoor dining is permissible and doesn’t pose a threat to the staff and the customers, it has been frequently used to keep the wheel turning. Now that the restrictions loosen up, many eateries are stuck in a dilemma whether to get rid of their outdoor dining area, switch back to indoor dining, or keep both.

2. No Staff Available

With the economic situation getting worse and inflation rates rising, many people started opting for different jobs, creating staff shortages in the eateries business. Big fast-food chains are notoriously known for their low-paying jobs, and that has also become one of the factors behind the unavailability of staff.

Pexels | Don’t be surprised if you don’t see a server for your table like the olden times

3. Patience Is a Virtue

Since the start of the pandemic, everyone has been spending their time daydreaming about places to visit once the pandemic is over. Now that the virus threat is kind of dying down, people will predictably swarm out of their homes, which means that eateries are going to be crowded, and wait times are going to be very long. While restaurants are trying their best to accommodate large numbers of people, it is definitely going to be a waiting game.

Our advice? Take it slow and easy for the first few weeks. Once the hype eases, you can go and try out any place you want.