//Upstate Restaurants: Are You Ready to Dine Out?
dining out during covid

Upstate Restaurants: Are You Ready to Dine Out?

This has been an apocalyptic year for the restaurant industry with the number of diners in remaining down more than 65 percent year over year and the industry as a whole expected to lose $240B by the end of 2020.

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Diners Still Nervous

In a recent survey, only 31% of U.S. adults said they are comfortable dining out right now, the smallest share recorded since late May. This number reflects the apprehension a majority of people have toward dining out and returning to most pre-Covid activities.

In the face of these statistics, our local restaurants need our help. While most have made major changes and implemented numerous procedures to insure diner safety, it is up to the individual to decide if he or she is ready to return to a traditional dining experience.


Recent Experience

I will admit, that while we have done our fair share of take-out, we have been slow to dine-in at our favorite Upstate spots. However, in the past few weeks, probably due to needing a night out, we have dined in at Anita’s Mexican Restaurant, Food Truck Nights at Community Tap and Topsoil in Travelers Rest.

While it felt great to be dining out, it was a bit odd to sit down in a restaurant for the first time in five months. However, all these establishments offered outside seating and were taking steps to mitigate contact during the meal and we felt very comfortable enjoying our meals and having a night out.

Steps we saw being taken to insure diner safety:

  • Limited Seating With Good Distance Between Tables
  • Disposable Menus
  • Easy Seating With No Wait
  • Table sanitation and disinfection between each use
  • Outside seating
  • Easy Check Out

Why Upstate Restaurants Matter

The challenges to our local dining establishments are myriad and we all need to do what we can to make sure the places we love survive this pandemic. With over 1000 restaurants in Greenville County, it is clear that there is a lot riding on having these business survive in terms of economic impact and related employment.

Losing Restaurants Could Affect Tourism Costing Millions

Visitors to Greenville, SC generate nearly $1. 3 BILLION in direct spending in our community and $74.7 MILLION in state and local taxes.

visitgreenvillesc.com

Diners Want to Feel Safe

Not everyone is ready to dine out. But if you are on the fence, it’s important to know what’s being done to make your meal safe and comfortable.

To that end, please use the form below to share the spots you have been frequenting as well as why they make you feel safe and comfortable when dining there. If you are a restaurant, share your outdoor dining options so that we can help get the word out regarding your efforts to help your customers.

We are trying to do our part to make sure our favorites dining spots are there when this Covid-19 nightmare finally ends.

Tell us Where You Are Dining & How They Make the Experience Feel Comfortable

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Reader Dining Picks

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Find Local Restaurants Near You

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