25 Jun Reconnect with Family & Friends Over Dinner At Chili House

Social connection is essential to the human experience. Unfortunately, the lockdowns and isolation associated with the COVID-19 pandemic over the last year has meant many people did not see their loved ones in person. According to a March 2020 article published in Psychology Today, lack of social connection can have an even greater negative impact on overall health than obesity, high blood pressure, or smoking.

Connecting with others over a meal or shared interest can even boost longevity. People who have regular social interactions report significantly reduced rates of anxiety and depression. Interactive people are more empathetic, trusting, and cooperative than people who have not developed meaningful relationships with others. They also have higher self-esteem. On the flip side, loneliness and isolation can cause people to develop anti-social personalities and a host of potential mental health issues.

Feeling connected to others has nothing to do with how often people go out or how many friends they have. This is good news for introverts who need more down time away from others to feel energized. The connection is more closely associated with how much people feel cared about by others and the concern and warm feelings they offer in return. Developing a sense of connection can be as simple as making a phone call, sending a text, or meeting a friend for coffee.

Socializing in Person is Back

Positive COVID cases are at the lowest point since the pandemic began and a vaccine has been available for several months. Families who have avoided traveling are booking flights and driving again to see loved ones across the country they may not have seen in person for over a year. Family resorts and large-scale properties are benefitting from the reunions with a significant revenue growth over 2020. Many hotels and event venues have reported reservations that even outpace 2019, before the pandemic was on anyone’s radar.

Guided tours have also grown in popularity for family groups who have spent the last year separated. As many as 20 percent of people requesting tickets are family groups, compared to eight percent at pre-pandemic levels. Although most people feel grateful for technology that made it possible for them to see and hear loved ones through electronic devices, nothing quite compares to spending time together face-to-face.

Friends and Family Eager to Make Post-COVID Memories

Few things have polarized people as much in recent years as the COVID-19 pandemic. People with strong opinions about wearing masks, taking a vaccine, or government lockdowns have found themselves at odds with some of the most important people in their lives. These divisions have ended friendships and divided families. In some cases, it was the strong differences of opinion that led to prolonged time apart from loved ones and not the logistics of the pandemic itself.

Now that most of the country is back to normal, people want to put that tension behind them and focus on building new memories in a post-COVID world. Gathering to enjoy a meal together as a large group has long been a tradition in this country, and it is once again picking up steam.

Dining Out Can Be a Great Way for Family and Friends to Reconnect

Large families and groups of friends who are coming together again for the first time in many months might enjoy the experience more when they choose to dine out. Making reservations at a restaurant relieves the group of the burden of trying to determine who should host multiple people in their own home.

Going out to eat also means no one has to be stuck doing the dishes afterwards, leaving more time for everyone to catch up and enjoy each other’s company. And ordering a family-style-friendly dish like Peking Duck is a great spectacle as well!

San Francisco is a Safe Place for Large Groups to Gather

Mayor London Breed announced on June 11, 2021, that 80 percent of the city’s residents eligible for vaccination had completed at least one dose and 70 percent had completed both doses. San Francisco is the first major city in the United States to reach this vaccination milestone. The vaccination rate for residents aged 65 and older is even higher at 90 percent. Mayor Breed states that San Francisco’s vaccination rates are among the highest in the United States and across the world.

Because of San Francisco’s leadership with the pandemic, people feel safe to visit the city and go out to eat again. People who consider themselves foodies have endless cuisine options ranging from All-American to authentic Chinese food served in the same manner people have eaten it for hundreds of years.

So if and your family or friends are vaccinated, set some plans, and make a reservation at Chili House SF today. We can’t wait to see your smiling faces again!