What dining in restaurants might look like post-pandemic

Michelin-star meals delivered to your door. Instagram Live cooking lessons. Gourmet boxes from local community farms.

As the restaurant industry adapts to new survival strategies while dining rooms remain closed, Georgia's decision in late April to allow reopening brought a glimmer of hope. As more states follow suit, there's a growing focus on the safety protocols needed to ensure the health of everyone involved.

With the necessary safety measures in place, dining out in the post-pandemic world will be a far cry from what it was just a few months ago.

While eager to return to business, the restaurant operators Dinogo spoke with aren’t planning to reopen anytime soon.

“The safety and well-being of our guests, staff, and community is our top priority, and until we are certain that reopening will not put anyone at risk or create an uncomfortable atmosphere, we will remain closed,” stated Justin Anthony of True Story Brands restaurant group in Georgia via email.

That said, they are already thinking ahead to what dining might look like once the pandemic is under control. Hong Kong offers some early examples.

At Yardbird, diners are required to have their temperature checked before entering the dining room, which is operating at half capacity. Staff members, masked at all times, serve food and drinks, reminding guests that despite the lively atmosphere, the true nature of the dining experience is on hold until the pandemic is no longer a threat.

While international restaurant scenes might provide a glimpse of what’s to come, the path the US takes may not follow the same blueprint.

“The restaurant industry has long been under tight regulation,” explains Larry Lynch, Senior Vice President of Science and Industry at the National Restaurant Association, which issued detailed reopening guidelines on April 22.

“We’ve remained committed to following the guidelines provided by the CDC, FDA, and EPA, working with all relevant agencies to develop restaurant-specific protocols. However, it's up to the restaurants to implement them effectively. Guidance only points the way forward,” explained an industry expert.

State-level safety regulations will likely offer more specific guidance. For instance, Georgia’s rules released on April 23 include restrictions on capacity and prohibit salad bars and buffet stations.

As the industry waits for clearer directives, internal communications within the restaurant sector help businesses prepare for the eventual reopening.

The James Beard Foundation organizes regular webinars like one called “Updated Food Safety and Sanitation Guidelines,” while The American Culinary Federation offers a free Covid-19 sanitation course available to both members and non-members.

Rethinking the space

Allison Cooke, principal and director of hospitality design at Core, a hospitality design firm in Washington, DC, is helping clients prepare their spaces for reopening.

“We always focus on the operational needs and necessary functionalities,” she explains. She’s assisting restaurants nationwide with “affordable, straightforward strategies that enhance safety in their spaces.”

One of the first significant changes will be to restaurant capacity. To ensure physical distancing, most restaurants plan to operate at 50% capacity, a strategy that many had considered before shutdowns took effect.

Communal tables may be restricted to smaller groups, such as two people at either end or a single group of four in the center.

For banquette seating designed for two, both individuals might end up sitting in the cushioned seats. Cooke suggests that it will be safer for servers if both guests sit facing outward, avoiding the need for the server to squeeze between tables to serve the farthest guest.

Identifying potential bottlenecks and optimizing movement patterns will improve how people navigate the space safely.

Cooke points out that certain paths, like those leading to restrooms, often intersect with high-traffic areas such as kitchen entrances, and these areas need careful consideration.

“Operationally, do you assign someone to monitor guest movement?” she jokes. “But ultimately, it’s about the communication and messaging that customers receive before they step into a restaurant, helping them understand the new expectations for respecting personal space.”

Communication will play a pivotal role. Signage will replace artwork, serving as a reminder for guests to be mindful of others, maintain distancing, and follow safety measures. Floor markers indicating six feet apart will likely become a common sight.

While open kitchens were once a selling point, acrylic glass barriers may now be added. Even the intimate atmosphere of a chef’s counter could be enclosed with these protective barriers.

Stephanie Castellucci, the owner of the Castellucci Group in Georgia, which runs six restaurants, is collaborating with Cooke to ensure her establishments are safe for guests. She's considering adding acrylic barriers around tables located in high-traffic areas, such as near the server’s POS stations.

Every detail matters. In addition to regularly sanitizing all surfaces, Castellucci plans to implement automatic soap dispensers, trash bins, and door openers to eliminate the need for touching surfaces that could harbor germs.

Employee Care

Just like Jennifer Aniston’s character in “Office Space,” uniforms will soon require extra flair. Restaurant owners will be enforcing the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves and masks, for all staff.

Hand washing, a standard practice, remains critical. Sarah Gavigan, chef and owner of The Otaku Group in Nashville, intends to take staff temperatures when they arrive for work each day.

In many restaurant kitchens, the process of cooking often combines food preparation with choreography, as the limited space requires careful coordination.

"In tight kitchen quarters, it’s a challenge to maintain that six-foot distance," says Carey Ferrara, director of sales and marketing for The Gaslight Group in Savannah, Georgia.

Ferrara believes this will likely result in longer wait times for food, acknowledging that keeping a six-foot distance may not always be entirely feasible.

Thankfully, the days of loud, foul-mouthed chefs are fading away. But their brief dominance highlighted the importance of clear communication in a kitchen environment.

Effective communication between chefs and servers is essential for smooth service, but according to Castellucci, with additional safety measures like masks and social distancing, it's even harder to manage. "We’re focusing on relying more on order tickets and less on verbal calls to reduce the chance of things being overlooked," she explains.

Changing Atmosphere

Prepare for a major shift: the atmosphere at your favorite restaurant might look completely different, at least for a while.

"There will be changes that make restaurants less visually appealing and a bit quieter, removing some of the ambiance we love when dining out," explains Scott Shor, operating partner at Edmund's Oast, a lively restaurant and brewery in Charleston, South Carolina. "But the new normal — at least for now — may involve a more industrial look, with carefully planned layouts instead of the casual charm we’re used to."

To guarantee diners are served with the cleanest utensils and glasses, tables might not be set until guests are seated.

Many restaurant owners are considering using disposable dishes as they plan their reopenings. Though they feel uneasy about the environmental impact, it might offer temporary reassurance. Condiments like salt, pepper, and ketchup will only be brought upon request, while hand sanitizers will replace them at tables.

With fewer guests, restaurants may experience quieter conversation, but the need for communication between servers and diners — especially with masks and social distancing — might lead to louder exchanges.

"How do we take orders and provide excellent service while maintaining distance at the table?" asks Shor. "It won’t be perfect because someone still has to place and pick up dishes. You can’t stay six feet apart while serving food and clearing plates."

Before the pandemic, shared plates and family-style meals were a staple of restaurant menus, but now chefs are reconsidering how diners will feel about these communal dining setups.

David Schuttenberg and Tina Heath-Schuttenberg, co-owners of Kwei Fei in Charleston, South Carolina, might implement a system where they portion out dishes in the kitchen with a modifier in their order system. But both express reluctance to lose the communal dining experience. "It's essential to who we are," says Schuttenberg.

No matter how carefully they plan the redesign, all restaurant owners agree that they won’t truly know what works and what feels right until they start operating again — even if it's a partial reopening.

Castellucci plans to provide gloves and masks for guests upon arrival, but Shor points out that this doesn’t work well for diners, as "you need access to your nose and mouth."

The rise of technology

Technology is expected to play a transformative role across all aspects of the dining experience.

A number of restaurants are starting by accepting only reservations, eliminating walk-ins. This shift could lead to increased use of platforms like Resy and OpenTable.

Many restaurateurs foresee customers relying more on their personal smartphones to access restaurant information. In addition to offering disposable menus, Ferrara from The Gaslight Group plans to implement a QR code system, allowing diners to view the menu on their own devices. Special menu items will also be posted on social media.

Bentobox, a digital platform serving the restaurant industry, works with over 5,000 restaurants nationwide to design their websites. It introduced an online ordering tool to help businesses manage their own takeout and delivery services during the initial shutdown. Now, Bentobox is collaborating with clients to adapt this tool to meet the needs of the new dining environment.

In addition to the standard menu, CEO and co-founder Krystle Mobayeni mentions that they are planning to go even further by providing detailed ingredient lists, cooking methods, and other specifics typically described by servers, all incorporated into an online menu.

The platform is also exploring ways for diners to communicate their preferences—such as whether they prefer single-use cutlery or contactless interactions—before they arrive at the restaurant. This will help restaurants tailor the experience to each customer’s needs and ideally link this information with the reservation system.

The new competition for the check may simply be about who can grab their phone first.

“It’s interesting because, a few years ago, many companies were trying to make mobile payments work, but they never really took off,” says Mobayeni. “But now, I believe contactless payment is truly set for a comeback — allowing people to pay without having to exchange cards, receipts, or even sign with a pen.”

Restaurateurs looking ahead now face a new factor that is essential for a successful reopening.

“Comfort used to be measured by the plushness of your seat, the richness of your sauce, and the perfection of your cocktail,” says Shor. “Now, comfort includes how safe I feel in the space, how much the staff seems to care about my safety. If we get this right, we’ll be better positioned in the long run.”

Kalli Bonham, a frequent diner at The 5 Spot restaurant in Savannah, owned by Gaslight Group, doesn’t feel ready to dine out yet.

Even though Georgia has begun reopening, Bonham feels that “the virus hasn’t reached its peak here yet,” and emphasizes, “protecting others and being mindful of how we contribute to everyone’s well-being is crucial to my family.”

Despite tracking data showing closures, Bonham believes that the confidence to return to a dining room will likely depend more on gut feeling than on statistics.

“I believe we’ll instinctively know when it’s the right time. And right now, we have no clear sense, which tells me we’re still not there,” she says.