The possible future of dining out in Seattle: The view from Hong Kong

Cities like Hong Kong started reopening a while back. My sister Regina de Luna lives there, and shared her experience of dining out post-coronavirus.

I reached out to my sister Regina who has lived in Hong Kong since 2000. Hong Kong had to deal with the outbreak before the U.S. I thought hearing her experience could shed some light on what life could be like here in the foreseeable future. She said dining out currently requires a few steps before being seated.

“When you go in, you come in with a mask; they take your temperature at the door, they give you a squirt of hand sanitizer,” said Regina. “And a lot of them, if not all of them, make you sign a declaration that you’ve not been out of the city for 14 days and have not had contact with anyone who has been out of the city for the last 14 days.”

During the outbreak, food businesses in Hong Kong continued to operate. Even so, people were wary and stayed home. When cases rose again, leading to a second wave, the government imposed restrictions. Restaurants were open at half capacity, and each table was limited to four diners. But things are slowly easing up.

Regina said having eateries being half full was a welcome change, especially for a dense city like Hong Kong.

“It’s kind of a luxury for Hong Kong, because you’re always crammed in,” she said.

She also noted that some restaurants have started providing amenities to accommodate the new normal.

“They provide you with these bags to put your face masks in so it doesn’t sit on the table, which is kind of gross when you think about it. Technically the mask is contaminated, and you don’t want that on the table, so they provide you with these cute, little paper bags. I thought that was a nice touch.”

I tell my sister where we are in the lockdown. It could be June before people can dine-in again at restaurants, which is Phase 2 under Gov. Inslee’s reopening plan.

I ask her how it feels to eat out these days, and whether it has the same sense of socializing as before.

“No, it hasn’t been that way,” said Regina. “It’s more like you get your fix but you don’t linger. I think it’ll be a while before people will necessarily do that.”

Among the first dining establishments to open in Seattle will be Starbucks, which plans to open 85 percent its shops this month.

The coffee giant is using its experience in China to guide reopening here in Seattle.

I checked out the Central District store on 23rd and Jackson Street. It used to be busy and a favorite hangout for cabbies. When I drove up, there was no line.

Walking up to the door, the doors were marked specifically for entering and exiting. The shop now has limited hours, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Music played, as before. There was no cafe seating; the store was set up for to-go orders only. The baristas and workers wore masks.

Customers were encouraged to order ahead with a mobile app, or use drive-thru where available.

Starbucks is taking what it calls a “monitor and adapt” approach to reopening. It will be different for each store.

In a letter to staff, company leaders said these decisions are based on ensuring worker and customer safety, guidance from health officials and the company’s field leaders. They said they’re confident with this approach and pointed to their success in China, where the outbreak first started.

Today, about 98 percent of the stores there are back in operation.