I do not like what COVID has done to eating out.
Apart from some upscale restaurants serving thirty-dollar steaks with baked potatoes for an additional ten bucks, almost nobody wants you in their space these days. Fast food restaurants no longer wish to be restaurants. They've become food factories: Get in line, pay in line, leave the line.
Here’s what I’ve experienced in restaurants after COVID—and maybe you can relate.
They don’t want your face. Sure, their doors are open, but their hearts aren't. Fast food places act like you've shoved a tire iron in the spokes of their wheel merely by walking in the door. Be prepared to wait and wait for someone who will wait on you. After COVID, the drive-through lane has gone from priority to deity status. And there are daggers aplenty for anyone who dares to order at the counter rather than using the kiosk. (But have you ever tried telling the kiosk you prefer a soft taco over a hard shell? No can do!).
They don’t want your cash. Some restaurants take it, but they often give you a dirty look because you insist on using real money.
They just want your card. Swipe and get out. That’s the feeling you get in many places these days.
Touchless Times. Ironically, many restauranteurs cling to the mantra of "touchless" service. Really? But a machine didn't flip the burger. Or pull the fries. Or put the lid on your Coke. Or pack it all up in a bag. Many people have touched your meal!
May I turn this conversation toward Christ for a moment?
I'm so glad that when Jesus faced a man with an infectious disease more horrible than COVID, He didn't insist on a "touchless" encounter. Instead, He deliberately touched the leprous man and said, "I am willing" (to heal you). "Be cleansed" (Luke 5:13).
In a world that only welcomes you when you swipe—and is oddly comfortable with touchless service—Jesus is more refreshing than ever. Don't you just love Him?
