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Going Out to Eat Will Look Different When Lockdowns Lift

  • Companies bracing for tough path to recovery after Covid-19
  • Self-serve buffets, shared appetizers will likely disappear
Tables are taped off to enforce social distancing at a Starbucks in Hong Kong on March 28, 2020.Photographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg
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Restaurants, battling for survival amid the coronavirus, are starting to ask the question: Even when the lockdown lifts, how do we lure back skittish diners? Their margin for error is very small.

“All of a sudden, it’s like: ‘I don’t know if I want someone touching my food,’” said Bob Goldin, a partner at consulting firm Pentallect Inc. Illustrating the scope of the challenge, he added: “I think we’re all learning we can live without restaurants.”