Surprise! Red Tier Now Begins Sunday; Downtown Disney Restaurants???

[TP2000]

Got back from a weekend trip to San Antonio (Fri-Mon). That's a great little town. We wined and dined inside restaurants and bars all over the metro area. Had a spectacular dinner in the Charthouse atop the Tower of the Americas with an unbeatable view.

I have always wanted to have dinner in that revolving restaurant at the top of the Tower of the Americas! I didn't go to that World's Fair, but somehow I feel emotionally connected to that Brutalist tower. I had no idea there was a Charthouse up there. I love their salad bar in Dana Point or Del Mar because it has caviar and Carr's water crackers, and their prime rib can't be beat. I imagine a Charthouse in Texas has excellent prime rib!

What's the most recent news on this place opening up again? It's getting expensive spending weekends in other states!

I bet. It appears that Orange County will re-enter the Red Tier two weeks from next Tuesday (seriously). That means indoor dining will be legal again for all the corporate restaurants in Downtown Disney and elsewhere.

I had to drive down to San Diego unexpectedly today, and I stopped for lunch in Carlsbad. There were several restaurants on the main drag of that beach town that had signs that said "Indoor Dining Available". That's not that unusual anymore in the suburbs, as many of the non-corporate restaurants told Sacramento to shove it months ago.

But I was surprised to see three Marine Corps junior officers in uniform seated in a booth near me for lunch. Apparently not even the Camp Pendleton commanding General cares if his devil dogs eat indoors off base, flipping a subtle bird to Governor Newsom and his ilk.

Semper Fi, my brothers.

 

[TP2000]

The rules and mandates and Guidance are all changing fast and furious now all over the place! Politicians and bureaucrats seem to be tripping over themselves to roll back and ditch their previous rules based on Science & Data.

Orange County no longer has to wait the full two weeks with Red Tier stats before it can go to the Red Tier. The Red Tier starts this Sunday in Orange County now. Surprise!

Red tier happens Sunday: Orange County businesses prep indoor spaces as pandemic rules are set to be relaxed

Starting March 14, restaurants, gyms and movie theaters in Orange County can once again host customers indoors and many other businesses and public places can boost max capacities.

www.ocregister.com

Starting Sunday, March 14, restaurants, gyms and movie theaters in Orange County can once again host customers indoors while an array of other businesses and public places can boost max capacities as several counties across California emerge from the strictest purple tier of pandemic rules and enter the more relaxed red tier.

Tremendous improvements in case rates and other metrics since the pandemic’s dark winter days – coupled with unfolding mass vaccination – have made public health officials optimistic that ongoing immunization and pandemic vigilance will keep the spread of coronavirus manageable.

Orange County will be making the switch to easier guidelines a few days earlier than anticipated following an announcement Friday that California has met its goal 2 million vaccinations among vulnerable residents of the state’s 400 hardest-hit ZIP codes.

Now, any county that meets an easier-to-meet COVID-19 case rate of no more than 10 cases per day per 100,000 residents – including Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties – can let certain businesses transition back indoors with other pandemic guidelines still in place.

Local leaders had expected Orange County to phase into the red tier Wednesday, March 17, per the color-coded blueprints that allow restrictions to be lifted in counties that meet certain COVID-19 case rate and testing positivity goals.

However, while some businesses will be ready to hit the ground running as rules barring indoor operations are lifted, others likely will need a few days to gain their footing, bring back staff and order supplies, Lucy Dunn, chief executive of the Orange County Business Council.

Orange County previously enjoyed two months in the red tier from September to November during a relative lull between summer and winter pandemic peaks.

On Thursday, state Department of Public Health officials announced breweries, wineries and distilleries – but not bars – that don’t serve meals can reopen outdoors in counties that fall in the purple or red tiers. Patrons must have reservations and can only be seated for 90 minutes at most.

 

[TP2000]

That article's last little blurb about bars is a perfect example of how clueless and behind the Sacramento bureaucrats are!

Anyone with two eyes who has been to any strip mall or small shopping center in suburban SoCal knows that almost every neighborhood dive bar and local watering hole has been operating indoors for months!

Dive bars and your local Regal Beagle were some of the first small businesses to start openly flouting Sacramento mandates, in the grand tradition of American Prohibition and the neighborhood speakeasy! And God bless 'em for that!

 

[TP2000]

Also, a reminder...

The last time OC was in the Red Tier last fall, several Downtown Disney restaurants remained closed entirely even though indoor dining was allowed. Catal, Ralph Brennan's, Naples, and I think Splitsville?

Bowling Alleys are still forbidden in the Red Tier, for example. And can only operate at 25% capacity once their county reaches the Orange Tier. So Splitsville's business model doesn't work yet in the Red Tier.

We'll have to keep a close eye on Downtown Disney over the next week or two to see which restaurants reopen and which stay closed. I do know that the Patina Group and their Delaware North corporate owners are still in a world of hurt financially. They own most of those restaurants in Downtown Disney that are still closed or operating at very limited capacity.

With the parks reopening later in spring, this latest trip to the Red Tier and Beyond! could be different for those restaurants.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

Also, a reminder...

The last time OC was in the Red Tier last fall, several Downtown Disney restaurants remained closed entirely even though indoor dining was allowed. Catal, Ralph Brennan's, Naples, and I think Splitsville?

Bowling Alleys are still forbidden in the Red Tier, for example. And can only operate at 25% capacity once their county reaches the Orange Tier. So Splitsville's business model doesn't work yet in the Red Tier.

We'll have to keep a close eye on Downtown Disney over the next week or two to see which restaurants reopen and which stay closed. I do know that the Patina Group and their Delaware North corporate owners are still in a world of hurt financially. They own most of those restaurants in Downtown Disney that are still closed or operating at very limited capacity.

With the parks reopening later in spring, this latest trip to the Red Tier and Beyond! could be different for those restaurants.

Naples was open from DTD's reopening until the stay at home order was issued in December. It recently reopened last month

 

[TP2000]

Naples was open from DTD's reopening until the stay at home order was issued in December. It recently reopened last month

Their outdoor patio was open, but I thought they kept their big indoor dining rooms upstairs closed last time OC was in the Red Tier?

Or did they finally reopen those too last fall?

I also remember they kept the Napolini walk-up shop closed last fall, which was weird because that type of to-go business was allowed.

 

[Emmanuel]

Seeing a lot more red

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

Starting Sunday, March 14, restaurants, gyms and movie theaters in Orange County can once again host customers indoors while an array of other businesses and public places can boost max capacities as several counties across California emerge from the strictest purple tier of pandemic rules and enter the more relaxed red tier.

Just in time for Daylight Savings Time to start on the day people are their crankiest from having lost that hour of sleep.

Really hope that bill goes through to keep DST year round so we can stop with this spring forward/fall back nonsense once and for all!

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

Sun would not rise until 8:23a at the latest during winter if we're on permanent DST. Support plummeted during experiments during the 70's when people realized their kids were going to school in the dark during winter.

There are both pros and cons to the debate, but social media has exacerbated the cons in more recent years as it is popular to dwell upon the negatives and blow them out of proportion.

 

[Disney Irish]

Sun would not rise until 8:23a at the latest during winter if we're on permanent DST. Support plummeted during experiments during the 70's when people realized their kids were going to school in the dark during winter.

There are both pros and cons to the debate, but social media has exacerbated the cons in more recent years as it is popular to dwell upon the negatives and blow them out of proportion.

Hawaii and Arizona and several territories for decades now (since the late 60s) have stopped the practice of switching the clocks during DST and they seem to do just fine. Kids wake up and go to school in those states just like any other. This is the one time I'd say that Arizona did something right.

The bill in the Senate has bipartisan support, so its got a shot at being passed.

In addition a lot of the EU was getting rid of DST as well. This year was suppose to be the last year that DST would take affect in the EU, but COVID delayed it.

DST is no longer needed in the globalized world that we have now. Its a relic of WWI and WWII that no longer has a place other than to disrupt the world twice a year. Its an outdated practice that has seen its "benefits" challenged by most of the modern world. So whether now or 5-10 years from now DST will be abolished across the global.

 

[Disney Irish]

In other news related to this thread, OC is now down to 4 new cases per 100k for its 7 day average. Which puts OC right on the cusp of moving to Orange Tier. So its very very possible for OC to be in Orange Tier in the next couple weeks, especially by the time DLR gets ready to reopen.

California has a new site that shows the current stats, including the 7 day average of case rates:

Tableau Public

public.tableau.com

BTW, LA County is at 5 new cases per 100k for its 7 day average. So it too is right on the cusp of moving to Orange Tier.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Sitting Inside at the Anaheim White House, about to order Stesk and Lobster.

Guess their clocks got sprung forward early.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

Hawaii and Arizona and several territories for decades now (since the late 60s) have stopped the practice of switching the clocks during DST and they seem to do just fine. Kids wake up and go to school in those states just like any other. This is the one time I'd say that Arizona did something right.

The current concept being disccused is to go on DST permanently through the year (opposite of what AZ does).

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Sitting Inside at the Anaheim White House, about to order Stesk and Lobster.

Guess their clocks got sprung forward early.

I don't care what color the house is, what is the name of the restaurant??

 

[Disney Irish]

The current concept being disccused is to go on DST permanently through the year (opposite of what AZ does).

And your point? Are you just opposed to it being DST that is made permanent or that you want to keep the antiquated twice yearly time change?

 

[Curious Constance]

The current concept being disccused is to go on DST permanently through the year (opposite of what AZ does).

Arizona is on permanent fall back time!? Fascinating!

 

[Curious Constance]

I wish you guys would just make your mind up one way or another so Oregon knows for sure what we’re doing. We have been waiting on WA and CA for years now.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Arizona is on permanent fall back time!? Fascinating!

I live in arizona. the answer is yes.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

And your point? Are you just opposed to it being DST that is made permanent or that you want to keep the antiquated twice yearly time change?

My point is, during the winter, the sun would not rise until after 8am, that will potentially mix up a lot of things in the working world as well as schools.

 

[Disney Irish]

My point is, during the winter, the sun would not rise until after 8am, that will potentially mix up a lot of things in the working world as well as schools.

Since the majority of the working world is not dependent on the sun that point is moot.

As for schools, I remember going to school in the winter when it was dark and I managed to survive. In fact when I lived in North Dakota during elementary school most of my winters were spent in the dark in the mornings. And speaking of being dark most of the time, lets bring up Alaska which sees darkness until 10am even in DST in certain parts, and they manage to survive for both work and kids in school. So I think kids in school will survive too if the time was made permanently DST.