Going to a restaurant was a special event when this writer was a child.
Restaurants were for anniversaries, Mother’s Day or a big holiday.
The family got dressed up. We ordered a fancy dessert that wasn’t available at home. The table was graced with a linen tablecloth and napkins. Conversation was in muted tones. It all seemed so memorable to a young kid.
Fast forward to fast food. Until the social distancing practiced by rational people became so prevalent in order to flatten the curve, restaurant going became common.
We have nicknames for our local restaurants. McDonald’s is “Mickey D’s.” “Chicken Gas” accompanies the Subway with its wonderful broasted chicken. The River’s End Restaurant at the Nantahala Outdoor Center is just “NOC’ and El Pacifico is known simply as the “Mexican.” These nicknames are signs of familiarity and affection.
Local restaurants are more than just a place to eat. They provide employment. They are a place to celebrate events that add meaning to life. They feed visitors and workers we need to support our economy. They are a market for locally-grown products.
These establishments are the stuff of good memories for our tourists. The football Friday night prime rib at Lynn’s is a tradition. Willow Tree’s specialty meals that educate and please the palate belong on the list.
These and other reasons make re-opening the restaurants and other service businesses critically important. Thank goodness for the owners efforts to provide take out food during the Coronavirus crisis, but that is not a long-term solution. We need a re-opening plan now.
Caution is important. We have avoided the plague in Graham County due to rational procedures respected by most people. In order to move forward in the economic recovery, methods to re-open – while remaining cautious – are needed.
Perhaps every other table should be made available until we know the curve is flattened or heading down. Enhanced sanitizing procedures after a table is cleared would be in order. Checking employee temperatures would not be an infringement of their privacy rights. Requiring customers to use hand sanitizer is not an inconvenience. Monitoring by our local Health Department for compliance would be necessary as would training for employees and owners.
These are small costs to get this critical element of our economy back on its feet.
So let’s make going to a restaurant special again. Believe it or not, I miss watching Fox News while munching on the 4-for-4 with a free mini-shake at Wendy’s. My suggestion that MSNBC could be shown on their second TV was scoffed at.
But it sure would encourage social distancing.
Roger Carlton is a columnist for The Graham Star.