Restaurant parks

[RB TexLa]

Here’s my idea. All these restaurants had the first problem of paying their rent in April. The second problem was keeping all of their employees working.

Why don’t we use the fact that we will have to social distance for a long time to our advantage. We would get rid of both those costs for many restaurants. Set up restaurant parks much like industrial parks. Near but not in the highest traffic areas to reduce rent costs. These would be set up with no dining only pickup takeout and delivery. If we had just half the restaurants in the Dallas area do this think how more efficient the restaurant business would be.

And this would free up lots and lots of real estate that we can have for whatever innovative thing comes up. Maybe socially distance housing, more parks, it’s one of those things where you don’t know what it could be until someone comes up with it.

For instance Gloria’s has 14 locations around Dallas. With this idea that would be cut to 4 or 3. The business from the rest would be handled more efficiently in scale by fewer employees with lower rent cost. You multiply that out over all restaurants including fast food. We would shift from having in restaurant dining at every corner of every street. That aspect of the industry would become more on par with going for a night in a hotel.

Efficiency breeds ideas and opportunity. When we harnessed electricity and began to power homes and businesses there were some who decried it because of how many people it was going to put out of work in the candle industry. But that change created opportunities and innovation. This isn’t a power source but freeing labor from the industry foes the same thing in creating opportunities we just don’t know what will come of it until we do it.

Think how many people tractors, combines, other equipment and advances moved out of the agricultural industry and the vast effects it had on society. Think how many more farmers daughters and sons went to higher education because there wasn’t work in the farm.

We have places we can perform some resets and we should try them.

[brooklynite]

1. Find the land here in NYS...and the cars

[Retrograde]

14. Plenty of land in NYS

Not so much in most of New York City, but once you get out of the NYC area the state itself has lots of space! Not much population, though, in some parts so it will be difficult to get the needed volume.

[mr_lebowski]

2. So like a 'Food Court' in a Mall? Or like any major airport you go to?

Or is this more of a Food Truck idea?

[RB TexLa]

3. Would be simple storefronts

lined up in long buildings with order and pick up windows. Order and pick up windows only.

[mr_lebowski]

4. So like a food court ... but you can't sit at the tables in the food court?

Or a parking lot full of food trucks?

[RB TexLa]

6. As long as we replace about 80 to 60% of dine in restaurants with them.

[LisaM]

5. I like supporting businesses, but that sounds unpleasant.

It also sounds as if it involves a lot of driving.

[SlogginThroughIt]

7. So like what they are all already doing?

Aren’t many restaurants already doing take out or delivery only from their restaurants? Why does anything need to change? That would just incur more costs.

[RB TexLa]

8. Moving them out of the real estate they currently hold.

The one location at the park would serve what 10 or so more expensive dine in locations previously served. And would do so with far less employees.

[SlogginThroughIt]

15. This makes no sense.

Moving them from one location to another isn’t a simple thing. It would be crazy expensive to do that. How are you going to completely remake their kitchens and have that somehow cost less?

Stimulus for them until we get through this and let them open back up would be way cheaper. Also I don’t know about you but when this is over I would like to go out to dinner and enjoy sitting at a table in that restaurant. I live in MN. Outdoor park dining doesn’t work for us for 7 months out of the year!

[Ace Rothstein]

19. I'm with you.

I can't wait to go out to dinner again.

[SoonerPride]

9. We already have those in OKC.

They are quite popular.

And hip.

Used to be crowded and would likely be just as dangerous as any other enclosed setting.

[Dem2]

10. They do have things like a "seafood festival" here

I suppose they could do more events to stimulate sales, though this would likely create a crowd if the serving areas are too close together.

[RB TexLa]

11. This is to replace dine in restaurants permanently

[Dem2]

12. Won't cut it in the winter

Restaurant's are a refuge when the weather gets crappy in places like the Northeast.

[RB TexLa]

13. I am talking about social change. That concept will be gone.

[SlogginThroughIt]

17. Sure you are just going to undo

Sure, you are just going to undo a few millenia of human social behavior. Look I get that we need to distance while we are in the middle of a pandemic but the last pandemic if this magnitude was a long time ago. We should hand out stimulus to small businesses... Actual small businesses and ride this out. Instead of change basic human nature like socializing.

[SlogginThroughIt]

16. And in northern states?

You want to permanently change the restaurant business?

Mmmkay. Sorry but that isn’t happening.

[Ace Rothstein]

18. You really think people are going to give up dine in restaurants forever?

[RB TexLa]

23. That would be the goal

Once or twice a year maybe. A complete social adjustment that would free up real estate, labor and capital resources for more innovative things than feeding people food outside of their house.

[Baclava]

20. Drone deliveries, just cooks and kitchens sending food to our door in under 20 minutes, that's it

[SoonerPride]

21. Food truck courts are popular

http://www.bleugarten.com/

[MLAA]

22. Loved the one in San Fran at Fort Mason