Reservation Policy Summer 2020

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Summer 2020 Reservation Policy for Alma Mexicana:

We currently have tables available for reservations under our covered patios at both restaurants. Additionally, we have tables outside that are first-come, first-served. We will not be able to maintain a waitlist, so if you don't have a reservation, you're welcome to use one of the tables outside of our patio or take your food to go. 

Reservations must be made via our online reservation system.

Follow this link to make a reservation at Alma Mexicana.

No reservations will be taken on the phone or in person.

Reservations must be made in advance.

If you have made a reservation, please read and respond by email that you have read and understand our COVID-19 Reservation Policy.

The Porch Kitchen & Cantina COVID-19 Reservation Policy

This letter will explain our new policies as we strive to maintain a healthy, positive environment that complies with best practices, CDC Guidelines as well as Governor Cooper’s Executive Order #141 of May 20, 2020. 

We realize that going out to eat has now become less spontaneous and more involved, and we understand that some things may seem less “hospitable” than we would normally like to be towards our guests. 

This feels awkward to us too, but we prioritize the health of all of our guests and of our staff above anything else, so we’ll just all have to push through the weird until we get to the end of this crazy rainbow. 

Thank you for choosing to dine with us, and thank you for your partnership in our efforts to make the restaurants a safer place for everyone.

Sincerely,

Claire Calvin & our Teams at The Porch & Alma Mexicana

COVID-19 Safety:

• We are committed to being extremely careful about safety. We do not want to risk the health of our customers, staff or their families. We will always put that consideration above profitability and fun.
• We will continue to keep staff separated into teams to reduce the risk that we spread infection to all employees.
• We will minimize the risk of outside contamination by keeping customers separated from staff and by keeping our inside dining rooms closed until we are confident that we can do so safely and responsibly.
• We are providing masks for staff and customers, and we continue to practice very frequent handwashing, appropriate glove use, and as much social distancing as our space and the work we do allows.
• We are screening employees (temperature & health questions) upon arrival at work to ensure that no one is unwell. If any employee becomes ill during work, they will be sent home immediately. If you would like to see our employee COVID-19 health policy & procedure, that will be available to view soon at www.dinnersontheporch.com.
• HOWEVER, the virus is airborne, and many people may be asymptomatic carriers. Thus, sanitizing, taking temperatures and listening for coughing is not a 100% effective way of keeping the virus out of our environment. While we can never guarantee safety due to the nature of the virus, we are working hard to mitigate that risk and keep everyone safe.
• Your partnership in this is vital. We ask that you agree to help us by:
  • Wearing a mask if you are able while you are not at your table.
  • Observing 6’ of social distancing from other customers and staff as much as possible.
  • Refraining from coming if you or anyone in your household has COVID-19 or symptoms that are associated with COVID-19 (new cough, fever, stomach ailment or loss of smell/taste).
  • Alerting us immediately if you or anyone in your party becomes symptomatic while dining here or receives a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in the 48 hours following your visit so that we may alert other guests and take measures to protect our staff. Likewise, we will alert you if another guest or employee is diagnosed with COVID-19 within 48 hours of your visit. 

Reservation Details:

• Your reservation is for 1.5 hours at your table, and you are welcome to stay until the end of that time period - we will not rush you!
• Your reservation is for a maximum of the people you have made it for. We are unable to add to your party size due to extremely strict distancing requirements.
• You will be seated outside under our covered patio. We cannot control the heat, the flies, the wind, the rain or the humidity (we wish!). 
• At The Porch: Please arrive to dine with us via the patio side of the building, rather than through the main hall. We are reserving the hall entrance for pick-up and Grab & Go customers in an effort to maintain as much distancing for those customers and staff as possible.
• At Alma Mexicana: Please arrive through the front door and exit out the side door through to the patio to maintain a one-way flow of traffic.
• Once you arrive, please send ONE member of your party in to check and get your table number (they will be clearly marked). 

Service & Ordering:

• In an effort to reduce risk, we are not offering table service at this time. 
• You will order your food and drinks once you arrive.
• Once you are settled at your table, we’ll bring waters, a menu and an order form for drinks (we know you’re in it for the margaritas!).
• When you’re ready, please send ONE member of your party into the restaurant to place and pay for your order and we’ll get those out to you along with your food.
• You’ll be able to order more rounds of drinks in the same way.
• We will check IDs at the table when we bring the drinks, so please have IDs readily available for anyone in your party who will be drinking. 
• While we will not offer table service, we are more than happy to help you with anything you need! We will not approach the tables or have servers checking on guests, but please feel free to send a member of the party in for anything at all - we’ll do our best to make it happen!
• At the end of your meal, you’ll simply head out - no need to clean up or say goodbye (although we always appreciate a shout-out if you had a good time!).

Safety Measures & Personal Needs:

• Mask Use:
  • Our staff will be wearing masks at all times when interacting with guests.
  • We ask that you wear a mask, if you are able, when you are interacting with our staff or when your movements may bring you within 6 feet of another person not in your party.
  • We have masks available for guests who do not have one, and we’re happy to provide those to you for $1 (our cost per mask).
  • Of course, it’s impossible to eat and drink with a mask! Please store your mask on your body or in a personal bag while dining, rather than on the table. 
• Hand sanitizer and glove use:
  • Our staff is washing hands constantly during the day as a regular practice, and then additionally after interacting with a guest in a manner that involves any contact. 
  • Aside from kitchen staff involved in food preparation, our staff will not be wearing gloves unless engaged in a task involving customer service (to bring food or drinks out, to check IDs, to roll silverware, etc). 
  • We DO ask that guests entering the restaurant for pick-up and Grab & Go from the hall entrance wash hands and don gloves. This is to protect them from potentially contaminated surfaces as well as to protect our staff from guests who may be unaware that they are a carrier.  
  • Diners under the patio will be provided with hand sanitizer at the table, and you are always welcome to come into the Porch restroom to wash your hands.
  • Diners under the patio will not be required to don gloves, but we do ask that you exercise caution. Please remember that personal items like masks and cell phones are not sanitary, so if you are frequently touching your phone and then using your hands to eat or touch your face, you are risking contamination.
• Restroom use:
  • There is a single restroom inside The Porch, as well as larger facilities for Men & Women in the hall. If you are using the restroom inside The Porch, there will be a line that maintains 6’ of social distancing between people waiting to use the restroom. If you prefer to use the restrooms in the hall, you will need to go around the building and 
  • enter through the door at the parking lot. There is no access through the restaurant.
  • At Alma, there is a men's and women's room to the left of the main entrance. Please do not congest the hallway, but if the bathrooms of your preference is in use, wait outside until you see someone come out.
  • As you leave the restroom, we ask that you wash hands thoroughly and use a paper towel to open the door.

Other Things to Know:

• All dishes will be served in covered, To-Go containers to reduce the chance of any airborne contamination. We will provide wrapped, disposable utensils as well as plastic drinking cups with lids and wrapped straws. While we realize that the use of disposable, plastic items has a negative environmental impact, we hope that this is a short-term situation and we are committed to returning to our initiative of eliminating single-use plastic as soon as we feel it is safe to do so.
• Our menu is limited, and due to supply shortages, we may not have everything available that you have ordered. We will communicate that with you and refund you for any differences. We appreciate your understanding as we work through this new model.

We appreciate you and your support, and we look forward to seeing you at The Porch & Alma Mexicana. If you have any questions or special needs, we invite them and will do our best to answer them to the best of our ability. You can reach me directly by text at (336)745-8300, by calling The Porch at (336)893-8361 or Alma Mexicana at (336)317-1254 or by email to marketing@theporchws.com.

By joining us at either of our restaurants, we expect that you have read our policy and adhere to the following statement. If you do not feel comfortable, please reach out to discuss.

“As the representative of my party, I confirm that I have read and understand the policies and information provided therein. I will do my best to ensure that I and the members of my party follow these guidelines to the best of our ability, and we understand the risks associated with dining out.”

Thank you so much. We are looking forward to seeing you!At The Porch & Alma Mexicana:

We currently have tables available for reservations under our covered patios at both restaurants. Additionally, we have tables outside that are first-come, first-served. We will not be able to maintain a waitlist, so if you don't have a reservation, you're welcome to use one of the tables outside of our patio or take your food to go. 

Reservations must be made via our online reservation system.

Follow this link to make a reservation at The Porch!

Follow this link to make a reservation at Alma Mexicana.

No reservations will be taken on the phone or in person.

Reservations must be made in advance.

If you have made a reservation, please read and respond by email that you have read and understand our COVID-19 Reservation Policy.

The Porch Kitchen & Cantina COVID-19 Reservation Policy

This letter will explain our new policies as we strive to maintain a healthy, positive environment that complies with best practices, CDC Guidelines as well as Governor Cooper’s Executive Order #141 of May 20, 2020. 

We realize that going out to eat has now become less spontaneous and more involved, and we understand that some things may seem less “hospitable” than we would normally like to be towards our guests. 

This feels awkward to us too, but we prioritize the health of all of our guests and of our staff above anything else, so we’ll just all have to push through the weird until we get to the end of this crazy rainbow. 

Thank you for choosing to dine with us, and thank you for your partnership in our efforts to make the restaurants a safer place for everyone.

Sincerely,

Claire Calvin & our Teams at The Porch & Alma Mexicana

COVID-19 Safety:

• We are committed to being extremely careful about safety. We do not want to risk the health of our customers, staff or their families. We will always put that consideration above profitability and fun.
• We will continue to keep staff separated into teams to reduce the risk that we spread infection to all employees.
• We will minimize the risk of outside contamination by keeping customers separated from staff and by keeping our inside dining rooms closed until we are confident that we can do so safely and responsibly.
• We are providing masks for staff and customers, and we continue to practice very frequent handwashing, appropriate glove use, and as much social distancing as our space and the work we do allows.
• We are screening employees (temperature & health questions) upon arrival at work to ensure that no one is unwell. If any employee becomes ill during work, they will be sent home immediately. If you would like to see our employee COVID-19 health policy & procedure, that will be available to view soon at www.dinnersontheporch.com.
• HOWEVER, the virus is airborne, and many people may be asymptomatic carriers. Thus, sanitizing, taking temperatures and listening for coughing is not a 100% effective way of keeping the virus out of our environment. While we can never guarantee safety due to the nature of the virus, we are working hard to mitigate that risk and keep everyone safe.
• Your partnership in this is vital. We ask that you agree to help us by:
  • Wearing a mask if you are able while you are not at your table.
  • Observing 6’ of social distancing from other customers and staff as much as possible.
  • Refraining from coming if you or anyone in your household has COVID-19 or symptoms that are associated with COVID-19 (new cough, fever, stomach ailment or loss of smell/taste).
  • Alerting us immediately if you or anyone in your party becomes symptomatic while dining here or receives a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in the 48 hours following your visit so that we may alert other guests and take measures to protect our staff. Likewise, we will alert you if another guest or employee is diagnosed with COVID-19 within 48 hours of your visit. 

Reservation Details:

• Your reservation is for 1.5 hours at your table, and you are welcome to stay until the end of that time period - we will not rush you!
• Your reservation is for a maximum of the people you have made it for. We are unable to add to your party size due to extremely strict distancing requirements.
• You will be seated outside under our covered patio. We cannot control the heat, the flies, the wind, the rain or the humidity (we wish!). 
• At The Porch: Please arrive to dine with us via the patio side of the building, rather than through the main hall. We are reserving the hall entrance for pick-up and Grab & Go customers in an effort to maintain as much distancing for those customers and staff as possible.
• At Alma Mexicana: Please arrive through the front door and exit out the side door through to the patio to maintain a one-way flow of traffic.
• Once you arrive, please send ONE member of your party in to check and get your table number (they will be clearly marked). 

Service & Ordering:

• In an effort to reduce risk, we are not offering table service at this time. 
• You will order your food and drinks once you arrive.
• Once you are settled at your table, we’ll bring waters, a menu and an order form for drinks (we know you’re in it for the margaritas!).
• When you’re ready, please send ONE member of your party into the restaurant to place and pay for your order and we’ll get those out to you along with your food.
• You’ll be able to order more rounds of drinks in the same way.
• We will check IDs at the table when we bring the drinks, so please have IDs readily available for anyone in your party who will be drinking. 
• While we will not offer table service, we are more than happy to help you with anything you need! We will not approach the tables or have servers checking on guests, but please feel free to send a member of the party in for anything at all - we’ll do our best to make it happen!
• At the end of your meal, you’ll simply head out - no need to clean up or say goodbye (although we always appreciate a shout-out if you had a good time!).

Safety Measures & Personal Needs:

• Mask Use:
  • Our staff will be wearing masks at all times when interacting with guests.
  • We ask that you wear a mask, if you are able, when you are interacting with our staff or when your movements may bring you within 6 feet of another person not in your party.
  • We have masks available for guests who do not have one, and we’re happy to provide those to you for $1 (our cost per mask).
  • Of course, it’s impossible to eat and drink with a mask! Please store your mask on your body or in a personal bag while dining, rather than on the table. 
• Hand sanitizer and glove use:
  • Our staff is washing hands constantly during the day as a regular practice, and then additionally after interacting with a guest in a manner that involves any contact. 
  • Aside from kitchen staff involved in food preparation, our staff will not be wearing gloves unless engaged in a task involving customer service (to bring food or drinks out, to check IDs, to roll silverware, etc). 
  • We DO ask that guests entering the restaurant for pick-up and Grab & Go from the hall entrance wash hands and don gloves. This is to protect them from potentially contaminated surfaces as well as to protect our staff from guests who may be unaware that they are a carrier.  
  • Diners under the patio will be provided with hand sanitizer at the table, and you are always welcome to come into the Porch restroom to wash your hands.
  • Diners under the patio will not be required to don gloves, but we do ask that you exercise caution. Please remember that personal items like masks and cell phones are not sanitary, so if you are frequently touching your phone and then using your hands to eat or touch your face, you are risking contamination.
• Restroom use:
  • There is a single restroom inside The Porch, as well as larger facilities for Men & Women in the hall. If you are using the restroom inside The Porch, there will be a line that maintains 6’ of social distancing between people waiting to use the restroom. If you prefer to use the restrooms in the hall, you will need to go around the building and 
  • enter through the door at the parking lot. There is no access through the restaurant.
  • At Alma, there is a men's and women's room to the left of the main entrance. Please do not congest the hallway, but if the bathrooms of your preference is in use, wait outside until you see someone come out.
  • As you leave the restroom, we ask that you wash hands thoroughly and use a paper towel to open the door.

Other Things to Know:

• All dishes will be served in covered, To-Go containers to reduce the chance of any airborne contamination. We will provide wrapped, disposable utensils as well as plastic drinking cups with lids and wrapped straws. While we realize that the use of disposable, plastic items has a negative environmental impact, we hope that this is a short-term situation and we are committed to returning to our initiative of eliminating single-use plastic as soon as we feel it is safe to do so.
• Our menu is limited, and due to supply shortages, we may not have everything available that you have ordered. We will communicate that with you and refund you for any differences. We appreciate your understanding as we work through this new model.

We appreciate you and your support, and we look forward to seeing you at The Porch & Alma Mexicana. If you have any questions or special needs, we invite them and will do our best to answer them to the best of our ability. You can reach me directly by text at (336)745-8300, by calling The Porch at (336)893-8361 or Alma Mexicana at (336)317-1254 or by email to marketing@theporchws.com.

By joining us at either of our restaurants, we expect that you have read our policy and adhere to the following statement. If you do not feel comfortable, please reach out to discuss.

“As the representative of my party, I confirm that I have read and understand the policies and information provided therein. I will do my best to ensure that I and the members of my party follow these guidelines to the best of our ability, and we understand the risks associated with dining out.”

Thank you so much. We are looking forward to seeing you!