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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | NOVEMBER 2020 | 15 Communications Advisory Restaurant & Lounge This is a challenging time as we start to prepare for holidays, thinking of family and friends. We are blessed to live in a great retirement community and we do the very best we can in the circumstances. We look to the bright side, greet our neighbors and friends, and are thankful for those blessings we have, the first being good health. The Channel 97 production team has been busy keeping updated content coming to Sun Lakers not only on channel 97 but also on Gooddaysunlakes.com and the accompanying Facebook page. This includes some live streaming of things like Master Board meetings and District Delegate meetings. Please take advantage of these opportunities to keep yourself informed. You will also see in November features in anticipation of the reopening of our restaurant, something we are all looking forward to! The staff is planning festive decorations and a special menu. We hope that Riverside County continues to have good news with reduced infection numbers and positivity rates. If this is the case, we can expect the county to move into less restrictive parts of the four color plan for reopening which means more stores and activities reopened. Of course we need to continue our best efforts to keep viral transmission down by wearing face coverings, washing hands frequently, and social distancing. But we will get through this. And, as more activities and events come available, our team is reaching out to Sun Lakes clubs and groups to keep us informed about planned meetings and events. We will get this information spread through all the communication outlets so all Sun Lakers can start to plan their days and weeks for upcoming events. Send information to Gooddaysunlakes@gmail.com and use the following sources of information to keep current on notices from the Master Board, and everything that is happening here at Sun Lakes Country Club: Spectrum Channel 97, Gooddaysunlakes website and Facebook page, Sunlakescc website and Facebook page, the Lifestyles magazine, and the Sun Lakes Life newspaper. Behind the scenes in the Sun Lakes Restaurant kitchen… Wondering what's going on backstage while our restaurant is closed? It's not all dust and cobwebs; in fact, there's a lot of activity in anticipation of our grand reopening on Nov. 18, with dine-in service for lunch and dinner, coffee and homemade pastries out of the Java Junction coffee bar as well as curbside pick-up service. Our new chef, Hugo Salazar, came on board just as the pandemic shut us down and has yet to show off his culinary skills. But his cleaning and organizing skills have been highly utilized during the shutdown. All of our equipment has undergone a deep cleaning, some of it completely disassembled to get at all the nooks and crannies. All the refrigerators have been emptied, scoured and left unplugged with the doors open. The stoves and ovens are sparkling clean inside and out and are also unplugged with the pilot lights out. Everything is set in a non-operational mode, waiting… Our pantry shelves are empty, and any food that would have expired before the end of the year has been donated to Carol's Kitchen and Table of Plenty. The floors and counters have been scrubbed and shined, the walls washed and wiped down and there's nary a cobweb in sight. But that's not all! Every single item in the kitchen has been inventoried right down to the last spoon and salt shaker. Recipe cards have been created for every sauce, salad, dessert, sides, and complete dish that we serve to create consistency no matter who is cooking. These cards also include food costs. I'm sure everyone has noticed price changes in the groceries you buy and these changes also impact the cost of our menu items. Right now, food costing is done manually, but that will go "real time" once our new POS (Point of Sales) system comes online. So, there's a lot going on behind the scenes in the Sun Lakes Restaurant. As mentioned, the target date to reopen is Nov. 18 which means we'll be open for Thanksgiving! We will be introducing a new menu, extended evening hours and more. For continuing updates, check Channel 97, Good Morning Sun Lakes, Lifestyles, the Sun Lakes Life newspaper and of course, our website www.sunlakescc.com. See you in November!

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