Your Significant Other is about to experience a major birthday and you plan a big party at your favorite restaurant, Captain Dan’s 5-Star Seafood Extravaganza. It’s a really big birthday and you invite all of your friends to dine on steak and lobster to celebrate.
Captain Dan took over the restaurant a few years back, he painted the walls and changed the look a bit, but the core restaurant and key people remain the same. It has a rich 20-year history and is regarded as the best restaurant in town. Many of your friends are regulars at Captain Dan’s and this is where you want to celebrate and be seen celebrating.
You make the reservation, put down a huge deposit and begin planning your dinner party. It’s going to be expensive, but you have sacrificed throughout the year to be able to afford this big shindig. You have been planning it for six months with much excitement, but as the date gets closer, the enthusiasm has softened. You start to hear that some of your best friends may not attend.
Captain Dan has done everything in his power to make the restaurant successful, but there are things he cannot control. The Mayor tells Captain Dan that all guests have to be either vaccinated or show a negative COVID test within 6 hours of arriving to the restaurant. Captain Dan’s hands are tied, but he calls you to let you know of these rules and he also reminds you that all guests must wear masks the entire evening except when they are actively eating or drinking. He also suggests that you and your guests keep six feet apart throughout the evening.
As your guests hear of these restrictions, they begin talking amongst themselves and questioning whether this is really the time to celebrate? They read articles stating new daily COVID-19 cases have climbed to a six-month high in the United States. They hear of a South Carolina Senator who was diagnosed with COVID after receiving both vaccine doses.
It looks like the friends from Canada won’t be able to attend and none of the relatives from overseas will be allowed in.
Decisions need to be made and quickly. Do you postpone for one year? Do you proceed with the birthday party and hope for the best and what happens if the party is a train wreck and very few people come? Will you go back to Captain Dan’s in future years?
What does Captain Dan do? Does he simply cancel your reservation? Close the restaurant again? Does he leave the restaurant open and scale it back a bit? Offer a free appetizer with each meal?
What about Captain Dan’s two partners that depend on the revenue from the restaurant?
Soon the food will have to be ordered. Once those steaks and lobsters are on the way, it will be hard to turn back….
There are no easy answers!