Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Unsolicited advice

Posted in:

Illinois

Sam Toia, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said local restaurants and employees have been hit hard by the COVID-19 restrictions.

“Restaurants are down 80% in sales,” Toia said.

I’m growing more frustrated with businesses that are open to the public and are obviously not adequately protecting their workers and their customers. At the very least, the workers should be wearing masks.

I have never been a germophobe, but I can’t currently watch TV shows without cringing at the lack of social distancing. And it particularly bothers me in advertising. Businesses should be advertising their safety precautions, subtly or not.

We did carry-out from Magic Kitchen on Saturday (a Thai restaurant on Springfield’s north end). The person handling our order was wearing a mask and gloves. We will definitely be back to that restaurant (it also has awesome food and homemade pies).

The new normal is the fear of catching this virus. Put people at ease. It’s just good business.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 10:57 am

Comments

Completely agree. Businesses that are open should be marketing how safe they are, not their “business as usual” approach.

The difficulty is that it can take a few weeks to do a new ad or campaign, and every one of those businesses isn’t even able to make payroll, so cutting a new ad is just an impossible expense right now, even if it would bring in business.

Comment by Just Me 2 Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:01 am
I’m glad to see “Thai & Pie” is still there after (egad) all these years.

And 100 percent agree.

Comment by Northsider Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:02 am
Sam Toia, please tell all of the restaurants in chicagoland to get their people to mask up. deliveries, some as you come to pick up. we wash our hands, and clean off whatever packages come into our home, but you can help by telling restaurants to mask up.

Comment by Amalia Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:08 am
Unsolicited advice ……….. I’ll not enter a public bathroom unless it’s critical. I’ll never go into a porta potty the rest of my life.

Comment by Rod Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:08 am
i would like to give kudos to Finley’s Tap off Koke Mill Road (excellent food, generous portions — mask and gloves) and to Taco Bell off White Oaks Drive (mask, gloves, handed out food at drive thru on a tray)

Comment by WeAreAVillage Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:08 am
Bloomington west side Taco Bell has opened both windows to separate payment and food. The cashier holds out the credit card reader and you stick the card in and remove it. She wipes it down between customers. She is wearing gloves and a mask. At the food window, your food comes out the window on a tray so that person is not handling it the drink or food bag. That person is also wearing a mask and gloves. I was really impressed last week. That’s the most I’ve seen being done at a fast food drive thru.

Comment by Rayne of Terror Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:11 am
Each time I’ve ordered delivery from local restaurants lately, the delivery guy has been wearing a mask and gloves.

Grocery stores near me - all the staff are wearing gloves and masks. Carts are getting wiped down.

Just common sense.

Comment by JoanP Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:20 am
One of the restaurants in my town was screwing up curbside service by masklessly gabbing with customers at their car windows after handing them their meals. And a lot of their customers are elderly. They’ve gotten a couple phone calls so hope they are doing better this week.

On the flipside, the drive-up at my bank is now BYOP (bring your own pen).

Comment by yinn Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:21 am
Somewhat off topic, but is only the north end location for Magic Thai open currently? I tried to get takeout from the Lewis Rd. location recently and could not get anyone on the phone.

Comment by Wildcat12 Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:22 am
*Magic Kitchen

Comment by Wildcat12 Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:22 am
“was wearing a mask and gloves”

Ask them is they are changing gloves between orders or at the very least making sure that if they take cash payment - they should then change gloves.

“Even in those instances, though, proper use is important. Stanford’s Liu has seen cashiers wearing gloves while handling cash and then directly handling food — something she said “absolutely should not happen.”

https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/Coronavirus-Should-I-wear-gloves-in-addition-to-15191402.php

Comment by Donnie Elgin Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:23 am
Got a pick up dinner from The Tortoise Club in River North.
They had on masks, room to stand apart, very friendly staff and a meatloaf dinner that was incredible.

Comment by Back to the Future Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:28 am
Glad to know that about the Taco Bell in Bloomington. Culver’s is also outstanding. McDonald’s though has been disappointing throughout the areas of the state I travel for work. I’ve also been trying to do exact change whenever possible and avoid handing over my credit card for purchases at drive-thrus. Still, hand sanitizer and wipes in my work vehicle gets a great workout.

Comment by Anon221 Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:34 am
Up in the north Lake County, been going to local business vs chains on weekly basis. As result, we have tried several places that we never been to before and will be back there when this is over. Been very happy with the glove and mask treatment with curb side. Most places require pre-payment when order is placed so not much worry about payment issues.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:40 am
Good on Magic Kitchen. I REALLY miss that place! Very high end Thai

Comment by Murph Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:41 am
We dared to do carry-out for the first time on Saturday. We did no-contact, but the restaurant owner came out with no gloves or mask and started to talk to my husband through the car window. Really disappointing.

Comment by Soccermom Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:44 am
We did curbside pickup at Obed & Isaacs in Springfield on Saturday. The person who brought out our order was not wearing gloves or a mask.

Comment by Captain Who Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:45 am
==McDonald’s though has been disappointing ==

I agree. 99% of the time I have been to McDonalds nobody is wearing a mask or gloves. I wish the Governor would mandate that these employees must wear masks and gloves. And then fine the heck out of those restaurants that don’t comply. There is no excuse. And there is no excuse for the way some of these places are treating their employees. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:49 am
” … are obviously not adequately protecting their workers and their customers.”

Serious, no snark, question. Where can masks & gloves be purchased? Looked everywhere I live, was finally told today at a drug store that =all= production is going to medical providers. Anyone?

Comment by Anyone Remember Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:51 am
–but I can’t currently watch TV shows without cringing at the lack of social distancing.–

Totally. Mr. dbk and I watched “Braveheart” for about the 20th time over the weekend, and all I could think about during the battle scenes was “social distancing, people, social distancing.”

Movies all seem so pre-Covid-19 right now.

Comment by dbk Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 11:58 am
Wearing gloves only works if the person wearing them washes or sanitizes again after touching contaminated items like cash, credit cards, pens, etc.

Comment by Me Again Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 12:11 pm
===Looked everywhere I live===

Etsy.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 12:11 pm
I have seen the Little Caesars touch free pizza pick up commercials several times lately. That is a good system. We will be trying it this week.

Comment by Proud Sucker Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 12:43 pm
Shout-out to Carson Ribs in Deerfield and Texas Rodehouse in Mt. Prospect for most recent well-executed curbside. Nobody was practicing social distancing at the hot dog stand at Waukegan Harbor yesterday, hardly saw anyone wearing masks while driving around the city.

Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 1:11 pm
Magic Kitchen was the first place I had Thai food whilst visiting my now wife and her family.

With you on the mask thing, going to the grocery store I am wearing one, it seems like at least the checkers should be wearing one too. I get that a mask for 8 hours a day is uncomfortable. Then give them breaks to go outside and take it off for a spell.

Come on man.

Comment by OneMan Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 1:23 pm
McDonald’s in Litchfield Shut Down as a reult of Poitives

Comment by Red Ketcher Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 1:31 pm
“Where can masks & gloves be purchased?”

Got lucky with nitrile gloves on the amazon. Should have purchased more when had chance.

Comment by Huh? Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 2:12 pm
Magic Kitchen is our favorite restaurant in Central Illinois and we usually ate there once a week during normal times. But they haven’t had homemade pies in at least a decade, just a FYI.

Comment by Swayze Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 2:26 pm
McDonald’s seems to be an issue statewide. Neighboring county has one shuttered due to multiple employees testing positive while my local one at same time staffed both windows with no masks or gloves. Inexcusable when McD’s corporate donated 750k N-95 masks to Chicago and 250k to the state earlier this month. Great gesture but also need to take care of employees (and customers) if their franchisees don’t.

Comment by Gonzo Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 2:27 pm
My post didn’t post — but my point was everyone — even in small towns — needs to wear masks.

Comment by Mr. K. Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 2:51 pm
Tempted to make the drive to Spi just for Magic Kitchen.

Comment by Shytown Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 4:01 pm
Sounds like someone who doesn’t own a restaurant

Comment by PrairieStateLove Monday, Apr 20, 20 @ 7:33 pm