Not wanting to hijack the other restaurant thread, has anyone else noticed that all of the Chinese/Tai restaurants that had dine in service before Covid, have never returned to dine in?
We eat way less often than we used to at these establishments.

I eat a lot of Thai food... I'm not aware of any Thai restaurants in this area (and there are dozens) that went take-out only and then never returned to dine-in.

We ate at Mango Tree yesterday and I had Ka Poa Basil and it was wonderful.

I do see asians still driving around with masks in their cars though.

There is a Thai place in the next town over that we order takeout from once a week. They have yet to return to dine-in since covid, though they are trying. The issue has been a new baby and shortage of employees. I'm not sure if other family owned restaurants in the area are still takeout only since this is the only food we eat outside of home-cooked generally.

Perhaps in regions with smaller Asian populations, those establishments find it easier to convert to take-out only and keep their payroll lean in this "red hot" economy.

In places like northern CA where I live, with a much higher Asian population, they must have dine-in to compete. The larger establishments are better able to absorb the added costs by raising prices and providing a more upscale experience.

The smaller ones either throw in the towels, or are forced to convert to take-out only. They eventually relocate to a smaller unit to save rent, since they no longer need that dining room area.

Both our local Chinese restaurants still do both and a Chinese restaurant 20 miles south still has a buffet which we have been pretty much avoiding for the last couple of years. The Kentucky fried 20 miles south has not reopened it's buffet.

Had Thai in Brandon Florida a couple weeks ago on the night before a flight out of Tampa. Was 5:30 on a Sunday and the place was absolutely rocking with both dine in and take out.

In the DFW area, dine-in at my favorite Thai, Chinese, and Japanese places have been going full bore for a long time.

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:
In the DFW area, dine-in at my favorite Thai, Chinese, and Japanese places have been going full bore for a long time.

The ones near me still have full service, too.

flashguy

There's a Vietnamese place near me that went take out / delivery only in Covid and never went back.

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:
In the DFW area, dine-in at my favorite Thai, Chinese, and Japanese places have been going full bore for a long time.

The ones near me still have full service, too.

flashguy

The ones near me also.

All the ones around here went back to dine-in service, some sooner than others but the majority did.

I used to crack up at the RIDICULOUS setup this one Chinese place near me had; they literally draped plastic sheeting to create this “zone” you had to walk in to pick up your food when it was only take-out during Covid. You stood there and paid as usual at a register but then they would thrust your bag of food through a “porthole” in the plastic sheeting next to it.


There is a little storefront vegan restaurant within walking distance that was quite hip and cool looking with a very vibrant dine-in scene for breakfast and lunch. I’m not a vegan, but the food looked so good and the place was such a cool little place that I wanted to go there, but never did.

They shut down during Covid as all restaurants did here in PA and went to take-out/pre-prepared meals only per our Emperor/Governor’s decree.

When the restrictions were lifted, they never did go back to dine-in and the place is grim looking now, sad.

The only Chinese restaurant in my area that went takeout only was Panda Express and while they stayed drive thru only for an absurdly long time, they're back to dine in.

Everything here has been back to normal for quite some time, and even busier.

Unfortunately, my favorite Thai restaurant did close, they had family back in Thailand they needed to look after and they couldn't do it from across the Pacific so, the closed up in '20.

However, most places went back to 'normal' over 2-years ago where I'm at; the difference from what they were doing in San Francisco and the North Bay was stark. Once the stupidity was reduced to the local level, businesses checked all the boxes the state required, the more level headed civic-managers knew it was all idiotic, and everyone got back to business.

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:
In the DFW area, dine-in at my favorite Thai, Chinese, and Japanese places have been going full bore for a long time.

The ones near me still have full service, too.

flashguy

Same at my side of the Metroplex (FW). We mostly do carry out but sometimes eating in provides more goodies.

Our favorite Thai place in Pickerington, OH went take out only.

They had just moved into a much bigger space before the Wu-Flu shutdowns.

The owners have told everyone who asks if the dining room will ever open again, "No one wants to work, they are all too lazy". With the business this place did before the shutdowns, I have to imagine that those servers were making a shit-load in tips (the owner alluded to this as well).

It just boggles my mind.

I haven't noticed that at all.

Wife and I ate at the Korean place near us. There was only one other table occupied.

Food and service were great, but their business seems to be way down.

I haven't noticed it in Houston.

I spent the weekend in DFW and didn't notice it the two Asian hotspots (Carrolton and Arlington).