“Restaurant: Impossible” host Chef Robert Irvine told “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Thursday that restaurant owners will need to take new variables into account once they are able to fully reopen for business amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“A restaurant, like any other business, has a break-even point and that’s a huge thing when we come into business,” the U.K.-born chef said. “People need to come back to work but it has to be done safely.”
Irvine said he expects social distancing restrictions to remain in effect for some time after the infection curve reaches a level allowing eateries to serve dine-in customers.
“You know, we are not going back to full 300-seat restaurants,” Irvine told host Tucker Carlson, adding that new reality will force restaurants to adjust cleaning habits, seating plans and even menu sizes.
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“We have to let the guests know that it’s safe to come into not only the restaurant but the stores at the same time,” he said. “People are going to be scared, and … we don’t know what’s going on. I’m not a doctor, [but] I know I want to get back to work. My life is about saving restaurants and that’s what I’ve been doing.”
Irvine said he has been using Skype to reach out to restaurants he has helped on “Restaurant: Impossible” to guide them through this unpredictable and economically-fragile time.
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“[A]ll those mom-and-pop restaurants and mom-and-pop stores need business. We need money. That’s the way the world goes around. So let’s start doing it and do it smartly,” he remarked.
“Listen to the experts, but also let’s be smart when we say, ‘OK, you can let 50 people in your restaurant over a two-hour period.’ And then you have to adjust everything … We have to lay out [new guidelines] clearly for [guests] so they know what to expect.”
Irvine added that he could envision a gradual reopening of the restaurant business — noting that places like New York City with obvious epidemic issues would resume operations later than other parts of the U.S.
