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| Welcome to Applebee’s! Can I Get You Started With Some Disinfectant? | Welcome to Applebee’s! Can I Get You Started With Some Disinfectant? |
| (1 day later) | |
| Go right ahead and leave a cash tip for Debi Kane, a waitress at a TGI Fridays in Corona, Calif. She’ll appreciate the money, but there’s a catch. Under the company’s new pandemic-inspired rules, she will need to drop off those dollars in a back room, then head to a sink, take off her gloves and wash for 20 seconds. Then she’ll wipe her hands with paper towels and wave them in the air for a couple minutes, willing them to dry. | Go right ahead and leave a cash tip for Debi Kane, a waitress at a TGI Fridays in Corona, Calif. She’ll appreciate the money, but there’s a catch. Under the company’s new pandemic-inspired rules, she will need to drop off those dollars in a back room, then head to a sink, take off her gloves and wash for 20 seconds. Then she’ll wipe her hands with paper towels and wave them in the air for a couple minutes, willing them to dry. |
| “We’ve all tried to get a new pair of gloves on when your hands are damp and believe me, it doesn’t work,” she said before a shift one morning in mid-June. “So we stand there, waving.” | “We’ve all tried to get a new pair of gloves on when your hands are damp and believe me, it doesn’t work,” she said before a shift one morning in mid-June. “So we stand there, waving.” |
| Ms. Kane is following the new protocols laid out in a 51-page document assembled by Fridays management: “Operations Playbook: Welcome Back Into the Game 2020.” It explains how to adapt the familiar, beloved pageantry of chain-restaurant dining — featuring buoyant servers, unlimited breadsticks, ample portions, entrees with “fiesta” or “dragon glaze” in their name, and value, value, value — to the Covid-19 era. | Ms. Kane is following the new protocols laid out in a 51-page document assembled by Fridays management: “Operations Playbook: Welcome Back Into the Game 2020.” It explains how to adapt the familiar, beloved pageantry of chain-restaurant dining — featuring buoyant servers, unlimited breadsticks, ample portions, entrees with “fiesta” or “dragon glaze” in their name, and value, value, value — to the Covid-19 era. |
| The playbook has particulars on everything from menus (one-page, disposable) to condiments (single-use containers only) to how diners should be greeted by hosts (with hand sanitizer). Coronavirus-related signs have been mailed to the company’s 314 operating restaurants. “This table has been sanitized by your Fridays Team,” reads one. Another outlines what’s called the “Fridays Clean Guarantee,” a sort of Bill of Rights for lovers of loaded potato skins and pan-seared pot stickers. | The playbook has particulars on everything from menus (one-page, disposable) to condiments (single-use containers only) to how diners should be greeted by hosts (with hand sanitizer). Coronavirus-related signs have been mailed to the company’s 314 operating restaurants. “This table has been sanitized by your Fridays Team,” reads one. Another outlines what’s called the “Fridays Clean Guarantee,” a sort of Bill of Rights for lovers of loaded potato skins and pan-seared pot stickers. |
| After decades of emphasizing ambience, BOGOs and Dollaritas, big restaurant chains like Fridays and Applebee’s are hyping germ-free dining as they try to coax customers back from quarantine. It’s a difficult sell, but a crucial one as the country attempts a lumbering return to normal. | After decades of emphasizing ambience, BOGOs and Dollaritas, big restaurant chains like Fridays and Applebee’s are hyping germ-free dining as they try to coax customers back from quarantine. It’s a difficult sell, but a crucial one as the country attempts a lumbering return to normal. |
| Because for reasons that transcend the merely economic, normal must surely include the immersive theater that is a meal at one of these chains. It is show with a story arc we have memorized: an escort to the booth; a chirpy server introduction; the inevitable “You still working on that?”; the extravagantly proportioned desserts, with names like “brownie obsession.” | Because for reasons that transcend the merely economic, normal must surely include the immersive theater that is a meal at one of these chains. It is show with a story arc we have memorized: an escort to the booth; a chirpy server introduction; the inevitable “You still working on that?”; the extravagantly proportioned desserts, with names like “brownie obsession.” |
| We know that every beat of this briskly paced drama — the scent of those sizzling fajitas, the amperage of those light fixtures, the clutter of guitars, signs and surfboards hung on the walls — has been conceived at an industrial park, hundreds or thousands of miles away. This is neighborhood dining as dreamed up in executives suites. The meal is about as spontaneous as a road show of “Hamilton,” and it doesn’t matter. We don’t come for improvised arias. We come for the hits. | We know that every beat of this briskly paced drama — the scent of those sizzling fajitas, the amperage of those light fixtures, the clutter of guitars, signs and surfboards hung on the walls — has been conceived at an industrial park, hundreds or thousands of miles away. This is neighborhood dining as dreamed up in executives suites. The meal is about as spontaneous as a road show of “Hamilton,” and it doesn’t matter. We don’t come for improvised arias. We come for the hits. |
| The hits are still on offer, but the context is new and daunting. Nearly half of Americans say they will “definitely avoid eating out,” according to polling by Datassential, a food industry marketing research firm. “Cleanliness and sanitation” are the primary concern of those venturing forth, the firm found, well ahead of “value,” “great taste” and “good service.” | The hits are still on offer, but the context is new and daunting. Nearly half of Americans say they will “definitely avoid eating out,” according to polling by Datassential, a food industry marketing research firm. “Cleanliness and sanitation” are the primary concern of those venturing forth, the firm found, well ahead of “value,” “great taste” and “good service.” |
| Even restaurants that ace the hygiene test may struggle because many diners remain afraid — of other diners. | Even restaurants that ace the hygiene test may struggle because many diners remain afraid — of other diners. |
| “We see a lot of restaurants making adjustments, putting in place policies and practices that are reassuring,” said Mark Brandau of Datassential. “But we don’t trust the people standing next to us — that they’ll wear masks, that they’ll keep social distance.” | “We see a lot of restaurants making adjustments, putting in place policies and practices that are reassuring,” said Mark Brandau of Datassential. “But we don’t trust the people standing next to us — that they’ll wear masks, that they’ll keep social distance.” |
| The country’s largest casual dining chains are leading by example, with what might be called sanitation signaling. Several corporations have created a new job: designated scrubber. This is an employee who does nothing but roam the restaurant armed with spray bottles and paper towels, like a bounty hunter for microbes. | The country’s largest casual dining chains are leading by example, with what might be called sanitation signaling. Several corporations have created a new job: designated scrubber. This is an employee who does nothing but roam the restaurant armed with spray bottles and paper towels, like a bounty hunter for microbes. |
| The Cheesecake Factory has created this position, as has Fridays, where the “sanitation captain,” as the gig is called there, wears a bright yellow vest more commonly associated with crossing guards. Every Applebee’s has a “sanitation specialist,” which comes with “an awesome little badge,” said Savannah Myers, who has been cleaning the location in Kendallville, Ind., since it reopened in May. | The Cheesecake Factory has created this position, as has Fridays, where the “sanitation captain,” as the gig is called there, wears a bright yellow vest more commonly associated with crossing guards. Every Applebee’s has a “sanitation specialist,” which comes with “an awesome little badge,” said Savannah Myers, who has been cleaning the location in Kendallville, Ind., since it reopened in May. |
| “I carry this caddy around — it sort of looks like a tackle box, and it has my three spray bottles,” she said. Her seven-hour shift is spent wiping down tables, chairs, windows, doors, counters and any other high-touch surface. “I also go around and collect money trays, pens, anything people touch, and I take them back to a sanitizing station and I sanitize those properly.” | “I carry this caddy around — it sort of looks like a tackle box, and it has my three spray bottles,” she said. Her seven-hour shift is spent wiping down tables, chairs, windows, doors, counters and any other high-touch surface. “I also go around and collect money trays, pens, anything people touch, and I take them back to a sanitizing station and I sanitize those properly.” |
| Applebee’s president, John Cywinski, said in an interview that Ms. Myers and others with the same pin now have the most important job in the restaurant. “At least from my perspective,” he said. “Our guests are cautious, and it reinforces our commitment to their safety and the safety of our team members.” | Applebee’s president, John Cywinski, said in an interview that Ms. Myers and others with the same pin now have the most important job in the restaurant. “At least from my perspective,” he said. “Our guests are cautious, and it reinforces our commitment to their safety and the safety of our team members.” |
| Mr. Cywinski has been heartened to hear from franchise partners that the average meal check is higher than it was before the pandemic. “And the average amount of time that people are staying is a little longer, too,” he added. “That suggests diners are ready for a night out. They’re not in a rush to have it over, and they’re not going to skimp. These are people who want to settle in, feel safe and enjoy their meal, take their time and then leave.” | Mr. Cywinski has been heartened to hear from franchise partners that the average meal check is higher than it was before the pandemic. “And the average amount of time that people are staying is a little longer, too,” he added. “That suggests diners are ready for a night out. They’re not in a rush to have it over, and they’re not going to skimp. These are people who want to settle in, feel safe and enjoy their meal, take their time and then leave.” |
| Whether and when diners will return en masse is unclear. On Thursday, the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese’s filed for bankruptcy protection. Brinker International, the parent company of Chili’s, reported in early June that sales at its 873 open restaurants were down 11 percent, compared with the same period last year. That’s actually a heartening figure, said Nick Setyan, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, and similar to results he expects to see at Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse. | Whether and when diners will return en masse is unclear. On Thursday, the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese’s filed for bankruptcy protection. Brinker International, the parent company of Chili’s, reported in early June that sales at its 873 open restaurants were down 11 percent, compared with the same period last year. That’s actually a heartening figure, said Nick Setyan, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, and similar to results he expects to see at Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse. |
| “As capacity constraints expand, we’re actually seeing surprising strength in terms of customers coming back,” he said. “But it seems to vary by geography. So the Midwest, the South and Southeast seem a lot more willing to take the risk. In the Northeast and West Coast, demand isn’t that strong.” | “As capacity constraints expand, we’re actually seeing surprising strength in terms of customers coming back,” he said. “But it seems to vary by geography. So the Midwest, the South and Southeast seem a lot more willing to take the risk. In the Northeast and West Coast, demand isn’t that strong.” |
| That’s a concern for Fridays, which is based in Dallas but has a large footprint in New England and California. The company had intended to go public in late March — a plan it abandoned as the coronavirus set in. Instead, the company started to hold a standing 9 a.m. Zoom call, seven days a week. During the sessions, a team of about a dozen executives from different departments conceived a socially distanced restaurant, from the entrance to the back door. | That’s a concern for Fridays, which is based in Dallas but has a large footprint in New England and California. The company had intended to go public in late March — a plan it abandoned as the coronavirus set in. Instead, the company started to hold a standing 9 a.m. Zoom call, seven days a week. During the sessions, a team of about a dozen executives from different departments conceived a socially distanced restaurant, from the entrance to the back door. |
| The menu was pared down, in part so that the number of cooks would go from five to three. “We reduced the number of sautéed onions, so that we wouldn’t have two people back to back in that part of the kitchen,” said Ray Blanchette, the company’s chief executive. “Fewer sandwiches and salads, too.” | The menu was pared down, in part so that the number of cooks would go from five to three. “We reduced the number of sautéed onions, so that we wouldn’t have two people back to back in that part of the kitchen,” said Ray Blanchette, the company’s chief executive. “Fewer sandwiches and salads, too.” |
| Bye-bye, shrimp and lobster pasta, chicken quesadilla and BBQ chicken salad. Feedback to the company’s call center led to adjustments. Spinach and artichoke dip, for instance, was ditched, then reinstated by popular demand. | Bye-bye, shrimp and lobster pasta, chicken quesadilla and BBQ chicken salad. Feedback to the company’s call center led to adjustments. Spinach and artichoke dip, for instance, was ditched, then reinstated by popular demand. |
| To ensure there were no crowds in restrooms, headquarters directed that some sinks and toilets be taped off. Restaurants were sent laser thermometers, for daily employee health checks. | To ensure there were no crowds in restrooms, headquarters directed that some sinks and toilets be taped off. Restaurants were sent laser thermometers, for daily employee health checks. |
| Servers got a new set of instructions, too. They were told to approach each table, pause six feet away, and ask for permission to get closer. Diners are to be asked if they prefer to have food and drinks placed on a nearby tray rather than on the table. Managers were encouraged to rent a tent and set up an outdoor dining space, most commonly in a parking lot. | Servers got a new set of instructions, too. They were told to approach each table, pause six feet away, and ask for permission to get closer. Diners are to be asked if they prefer to have food and drinks placed on a nearby tray rather than on the table. Managers were encouraged to rent a tent and set up an outdoor dining space, most commonly in a parking lot. |
| Updated June 30, 2020 | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| When restaurants in Texas were allowed to reopen at 25 percent capacity on May 1, Fridays did nothing — other than send executives to check out its rivals. | When restaurants in Texas were allowed to reopen at 25 percent capacity on May 1, Fridays did nothing — other than send executives to check out its rivals. |
| “For about a week,” Mr. Blanchette said. “We wanted to observe what was happening at our competitors’ restaurants to make sure that our playbook was all-encompassing.” | “For about a week,” Mr. Blanchette said. “We wanted to observe what was happening at our competitors’ restaurants to make sure that our playbook was all-encompassing.” |
| When Fridays joined the reopening, there was an initial burst of traffic from eager, cooped-up Texans, before demand dropped a few weeks later. Though the takeout and delivery business helped many stores recover, the decline in sales is a still-unsustainable 50 percent. | When Fridays joined the reopening, there was an initial burst of traffic from eager, cooped-up Texans, before demand dropped a few weeks later. Though the takeout and delivery business helped many stores recover, the decline in sales is a still-unsustainable 50 percent. |
| In late May, Mr. Blanchette told Bloomberg that the company planned to permanently close as many as 20 percent of Fridays locations. That was before the current spike in infections in Texas, California and other states. Now, he says the exact number of closings will depend on which landlords are willing to offer some forbearance on rent. | In late May, Mr. Blanchette told Bloomberg that the company planned to permanently close as many as 20 percent of Fridays locations. That was before the current spike in infections in Texas, California and other states. Now, he says the exact number of closings will depend on which landlords are willing to offer some forbearance on rent. |
| How good are the restaurants at abiding by the new protocols? A pair of recent road trips offered two different answers. | How good are the restaurants at abiding by the new protocols? A pair of recent road trips offered two different answers. |
| At an Applebee’s in Westbury, on Long Island, the staff stuck to the catechism. Lunch was served at the adjacent parking lot, not far from a Sprint store — strip mall al fresco. The lone waiter wore a mask and gloves. A woman spritzed and wiped tables full time. Service was efficient. When a second side order of onion strings was requested, it was hustled out in minutes. | At an Applebee’s in Westbury, on Long Island, the staff stuck to the catechism. Lunch was served at the adjacent parking lot, not far from a Sprint store — strip mall al fresco. The lone waiter wore a mask and gloves. A woman spritzed and wiped tables full time. Service was efficient. When a second side order of onion strings was requested, it was hustled out in minutes. |
| The Fridays beside the Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers, however, strayed a bit from the playbook. The first sign came from the hostess, who wasn’t wearing gloves. More worryingly, neither were two of the waitresses working a grassy outdoor area that had tables and umbrellas. (As with the Applebee’s, the indoor part of the restaurant was then closed.) No one asked for permission to approach tables, or provided the option of dropping off food on a nearby tray. One waitress wore her mask below her nose in the way that every mask-fatigued person will recognize. | The Fridays beside the Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers, however, strayed a bit from the playbook. The first sign came from the hostess, who wasn’t wearing gloves. More worryingly, neither were two of the waitresses working a grassy outdoor area that had tables and umbrellas. (As with the Applebee’s, the indoor part of the restaurant was then closed.) No one asked for permission to approach tables, or provided the option of dropping off food on a nearby tray. One waitress wore her mask below her nose in the way that every mask-fatigued person will recognize. |
| “I’m not handling take-out orders,” she said, when asked about her lack of gloves, an answer that didn’t seem relevant. “I can put on gloves if you prefer.” | “I’m not handling take-out orders,” she said, when asked about her lack of gloves, an answer that didn’t seem relevant. “I can put on gloves if you prefer.” |
| It seems stinting to criticize servers, who are essential workers coping in far-from-ideal circumstances. But they were falling short of Fridays’ own standards. When a reporter asked the company about his experience, the chief operating officer was dispatched to Yonkers. | It seems stinting to criticize servers, who are essential workers coping in far-from-ideal circumstances. But they were falling short of Fridays’ own standards. When a reporter asked the company about his experience, the chief operating officer was dispatched to Yonkers. |
| “He will stay there until I am assured every Manager and Team member is executing according to the new standards,” Mr. Blanchette wrote in an email. “If there is a silver lining, it is that you visited on a day when we weren’t our best so we can see where we need to adjust.” | “He will stay there until I am assured every Manager and Team member is executing according to the new standards,” Mr. Blanchette wrote in an email. “If there is a silver lining, it is that you visited on a day when we weren’t our best so we can see where we need to adjust.” |
| On the plus side, the wait staff was polite and efficient and the silverware came in plastic wrap. Also, food snobs be damned — the whiskey-glaze ribs were superb. And by 5:30 p.m., there was a line of customers waiting for a table. It included Yonkers native Samantha Clarke, who was making her second visit to this Fridays in two days. | On the plus side, the wait staff was polite and efficient and the silverware came in plastic wrap. Also, food snobs be damned — the whiskey-glaze ribs were superb. And by 5:30 p.m., there was a line of customers waiting for a table. It included Yonkers native Samantha Clarke, who was making her second visit to this Fridays in two days. |
| “It was nerve-racking,” she said of her first trip. “Seeing everybody outside after three months of being inside — it felt normal, but it’s not normal.” | “It was nerve-racking,” she said of her first trip. “Seeing everybody outside after three months of being inside — it felt normal, but it’s not normal.” |
| Her waitress wore gloves, she said, and offered plastic utensils upon request. Now, on this Sunday evening, she and her boyfriend, Stephon Smith, said they were more concerned about other diners and wondered if Fridays staff would bounce anyone who started coughing in a worrying way. | Her waitress wore gloves, she said, and offered plastic utensils upon request. Now, on this Sunday evening, she and her boyfriend, Stephon Smith, said they were more concerned about other diners and wondered if Fridays staff would bounce anyone who started coughing in a worrying way. |
| But these were manageable anxieties, she said, hardly enough to keep her away from her go-to dish — sizzling chicken and shrimp. | But these were manageable anxieties, she said, hardly enough to keep her away from her go-to dish — sizzling chicken and shrimp. |
| “That’s my favorite,” she said, “and I’m about to order it again.” | “That’s my favorite,” she said, “and I’m about to order it again.” |