5 Ways The Restaurant Experience Will Change: Say Yes To Travel

 

Dining Out is such an important part of tourism and it would be remiss of me to not cover it. After all, restaurant recommendations are a concierge’s number 1 request.

Although many details are still being sorted out, ultimately, when it comes to dining, restaurants and guests are going to have to use their noodle—but maybe not figuratively as they did in this café in Germany.  

Here are five ways that the restaurant experience will change… even if just in the short term.

Less Tables and More Patios

In compliance with social distancing, restaurants will have to reduce their capacity by 50% or so, much of this by removing and rearranging their dining tables. In cases where they can, restaurants will also rely on their patio spaces or even look to building out patio space to expand both capacity and offerings.

Take-Out Windows

As many diners have gotten used to eating at home, takeout and delivery will become a larger part of the dining-out experience. Eateries will need to consistently deliver high quality takeout orders by updating their menus with dishes that travel well. This will be a shift for higher end restaurants, but as we have already seen with restaurants that remained open during lockdown, there is a proven demand for this.

More Combo and Pre-Fixed Options

We have seen this even in the world of food delivery, restaurants were starting to offer more combos and in the case of higher end restaurants, pre-fixe dining options on their menus. As restaurants open back up, there will be more of these offerings to target the budget conscious crowd.

Capping Large Parties

In the short term, restaurants will not be able to accommodate dinner restaurants for large parties. It seems likely that they will need to pause on accepting reservations of parties of more than 6 people—not only due to space, but just in an effort to manage social distancing.

Reservations Only

Long gone are the days of packed waiting areas for in-demand restaurants. Local hot spots will shift to being “reservations only” as a means to manage an even flow of diners throughout the evening. Restaurant goers will be encouraged to reach out to their favorite restaurants before just showing up once things reopen.

Well, those are five ways dining out will change moving forward.
So how do you see dining out changing? What will you miss most about eating in restaurants?

Share your thoughts in the comment section below and don’t forget to share this video.
Until next time, see you then!

Listen to Previous Episodes of Say Yes To Travel!

Say Yes to Travel with Sarah Dandashy

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

pcp
PCP Attribution Analysis
May 22, 2025

Dr. Sam Ambewadikar, RVP and Medical Director at Anthem National Accounts, joins Brent to unpack the power of primary care attribution analysis—a tool he helped pioneer to spotlight the clinical and financial impact of members not having an established PCP. Drawing from his background as a practicing pediatrician and claims analytics leader, Dr. Sam shares…

Read More
sydney health
Sydney Health Demo
May 22, 2025

In this episode, Christina Firouztash, Executive Advisor of Digital Solutions at Anthem, gives a dynamic walkthrough of the Sydney Health app—Anthem’s flagship digital member experience. Christina showcases how Sydney delivers personalized, simple, and equitable navigation across benefits, including virtual care, pharmacy, financial transparency, and social services access. From contextual chatbots and ID card access to…

Read More
pharmacy
Pharmacy Part 1
May 22, 2025

In this episode, Brent chats with Katie Brennan, National Sales Director at CarelonRx, about making pharmacy benefits more accessible, consistent, and member-friendly. Katie spotlights Carelon new advanced home delivery model, which brings the pharmacy counter—and the pharmacist—into the member’s home. With fewer retail pharmacies offering extended hours and many patients lacking reliable transportation, CarelonRx is…

Read More
inclusive care
Inclusive Care
May 22, 2025

Sammy Gonzalez, Regional Vice President at Elevance Health, joins Brent for a deeply personal and impactful conversation on health equity and inclusive care. Sammy shares a powerful story of medical misdiagnosis tied to cultural assumptions, underscoring how bias—even unintentional—can hinder care quality. He highlights Elevance’s work to improve diversity in provider networks, enhance cultural competency,…

Read More