Forum Discussion

Seasoned Hotshot

3 years ago

A few Dine Out Refresh Ideas

I, like most Simmers would love to see a Dine Out refresh mostly to fix its considerable problems. However I would love to see a few things added in to enhance game play.

1. Integrate bars into the workings of the restaurant.

Only allow mixology drinks to be on the menu if their is an actual bar on premises
Waiters pick up drinks from the bar not the kitchen
Allow us to hire a bartender even out of family members
Set their uniform
Set the drinks menu
Allow patrons to just be in the bar

http://www.foodrepublic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DSC_4082.jpg

2. Hire Family Members for job positions. Many restaurants are family owned and many of the position their are filled by family members (This includes the chef position) Personally I wish the restaurants meshed a bit better with the Culinary career in general so that the owner could be the chef and gain the benefits of the Culinary career. But I suppose you could have the owner be someone who went through the career and decided to open their own place.

3. Be able to have the Restaurant Community Lot designation to incorporate what kind of restaurant it is.

BBQ
Chinese
Delicatessen
Diner - 50's
English Tea Room
French Bistro
German
Indian
Italian
Japanese - Hibachi Grill and/or Sushi Bar
Mexican
Middle Eastern
Sandwich Shop
Seafood
Steakhouse

4. Maybe add some Community Lot Buy/Build Items to help with the ambiance for specific styles of restaurant.
Decorated Windows and Doors
https://www.laurelbankjoinery.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Shopfront-AKASH-Blackrock-Co.-Dublin.jpg
Doormats
https://rugratsva.com/wp-content/uploads/Restaurant.jpg
Awnings
https://www.kreiderscanvas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/20160916_124219.jpg
Indian Restaurant
https://d27k8xmh3cuzik.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/10-Indian-Restaurants-In-Budapest-For-Desi-Zaika-OG.jpg
German Restaurant
http://edelweissrest.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Edelweiss-MainDiningRm-Evening-Magazine-Emails.jpg
50's Diner
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6c/00/8f/6c008f4acae0af40fc59bdbf842593ea.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ab/45/18/ab4518cc7789fcca1c4744e53d8d268d--resin-table-diy-table.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/16/6a/8c/166a8c713850d892d7c1730753d1039c.jpg
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1810/9697/products/ModernicaT00826_31.5X35.5X59_06_2d677201-4c55-4387-a3fc-d13d19f03668_600x.jpg?v=1574225214
French Bistro
https://www.fredbollacienterprises.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/BAR_FRITES_rest_page.jpg
Italian Restaurant
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/79/4c/f7/794cf73afcff1e32d636fac0de609ea4.jpg
Bakery & Cafe
https://na.lvlt.sims3store.cdn.ea.com/u/f/sims/sims3/sims3store/objects/BakersBazaarBakery/Thumbnail_688x336.jpg
Carnegie Deli
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pyv1OMAkfx0/UQrHgUYxP_I/AAAAAAAABJQ/BUKTK6UMnjg/s1600/Carnegie+Deli+old+room.jpg
Restaurant in Chinatown
https://www.foodrepublic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3845161438_1577a1ebd0_b.jpg
English Tea Room
https://img1.10bestmedia.com/Images/Photos/311909/p-Dorchester1_54_990x660.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lowkJJSQMLM/UUotubkdZ8I/AAAAAAAAAT4/sfsmJ7CLQog/s1600/LR+The+English+Tea+Room+at+Brown's+Hotel+-+Champagne+Afternoon+Tea++-+close+up.jpg
Soul Food Restaurant
https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/8e1cfaf92d630cd7f4868e1d2f4734718c1116f4/c=0-192-2048-1344/local/-/media/2016/10/19/DetroitNews/B99453620Z.1_20161019155953_000_G8616GAAM.1-0.jpg?width=2048&height=1152&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp

5. Have the uniform choices reflect the new restaurant types so that the experience is different in different places

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1fQrAOVXXXXaGXVXXq6xXFXXXi/Top-Apron-Black-Chinese-Restaurant-Waiter-Uniforms-Long-Sleeve-Hotel-Waitress-Uniform-Chef-jacket-Food-Uniform.jpg
https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/waiter-popular-indian-cafe-ethnic-dress-working-colorful-interior-bangalore-india-feb-february-capital-state-90870651.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a3/39/5c/a3395c0ecfdd45a1af6e21a579115f39.jpg
http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/iew5e6yh/old/DG-9976_3.jpg

6. Specialized Appliances and incorporate them into the restaurant set up

Hibachi
http://na.lvlt.sims3store.cdn.ea.com/u/f/sims/sims3/sims3store/objects/JapaneseDining_SET/Thumbnail_688x336.jpg

Sushi Bar
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/18/3a/a5/183aa5ce1aeedab40ae7325655c8dbd8.jpg

Commercial Electric Tandoor
https://www.nomlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Best-Electric-Tandoor-steel-drum.jpg

Commercial Oven for Bakeries
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3e/33/97/3e3397bc73f7036472819b31c9b79036.jpg

Brick Oven for Pizzerias and Trattorias
http://vtbrickoven.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/restaurant-oven-1b-1024x768.jpg

Kebab Rotisserie
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e3/6a/32/e36a32a502a311ce9dd1891c6e750f31.jpg

7. Radio Stations to reflect the type of restaurant it is. For example music from India for an Indian restaurant. Maybe some simlish versions of some famous Italian songs like "That's Amore". Music that would be appropriate going to a German Beer Garden, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnFlx2Lnr9Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0CJkUajmTI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSQ6vcAXyeE

8. New Recipes relevant to new types of restaurants

https://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-2e5cfe8b58d81034933b551ee0ae6ba3.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QyHgQz7PYEs/UnU_mve085I/AAAAAAAAexk/ikdvLcrzVEU/s1600/Bavarian+House+German+Restaurant+Review+5.jpg
Butter Chicken
https://skinnymixers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/butter-chicken-thermomix-skinnymixers-india.jpg
Dover Sole with Brown Butter & Capers
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z2AvzPrMW-U/Uu2NZhwf2sI/AAAAAAAACwY/DvBFTeqTWqQ/s1600/SoleMeuniere+133.JPG
Boeuf Bourguignon
https://www.thespruceeats.com/thmb/BgOjFRb2m8nIkxjVnnmSRf3hK70=/3000x2000/filters:fill(auto,1)/french-boeuf-bourguignon-recipe-1375523-d9ae2ba0ea394f71bc2576a3a0ea277e.jpg
Baba Au Rhum
https://www.bonjourbakerymiami.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Post4a.jpg
Chinese Soup Dumplings
https://miro.medium.com/max/11490/1*ZuUYg2yuY0srQJBw1MEMpw.jpeg
Varieties of Dim Sum
http://i0.wp.com/disneyexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/disney-dim-sum-hong-kong-disneyland.png
Lahmacun
https://nomadparadise.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/turkishfood3.jpg.webp
Peking Duck
https://www.holidaysmart.com/sites/default/files/daily/pekingduck-shs_250917241.jpg
Biscuits & Gravy
https://dashofsavory.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/027.jpg
The Bacon Butty
https://www.mrbreakfast.com/breakfast/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/bacon_butty_6.jpg
Toad in the Hole
https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Toad-In-The-Hole.png
One Eyed Jacks
https://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/MoonstruckEggInAHole.jpg

9. Multi function Commercial Lots. Or in the case of more massive commercial lot section off areas to have a different lot functionality

Bakery & Cafe
Bar & Grill
Casino & Night Club
Hotel & Casino
Hotel with Restaurant
Hotel & Resort
Hotel & Spa

10. Update the Baking Skill to a Base Game skill AND move the obvious baking recipes from Cooking to Baking. It has been years for this skill to exist and if anyone hasn't gotten the pack it is found in they weren't to begin with. It would be a definite improvement to the game, making recipes more easily found and be more logical. If you feel that this would make the overall amount of cooking recipes significantly less well then add a few popular and obvious choices like Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans, Chicken Fired Steak, Biscuit and Gravy.

11. All the Sims 1 & 2 sitting at the table interactions that aren't currently in the game

Playing Footsie
Proposing Marriage
Request a Song
Snuggling in the booth seat
Stealing a Bite
Toast
Feed a Bite

12. Personally I'd love to have Minstrel Carlo from Hot Date back as well

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/sims/images/1/18/Minstrel_Carlo_%281%29.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20191231115213
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Eu6UFaIxB-4/maxresdefault.jpg

13. New Place Settings that are holiday themed. This will not only be great for restaurants but also home celebrations

Feestbloempje
3 years ago
These are all wonderful ideas, but the ability to hire family/household members as staff excites me the most. Running a family owned restaurant is exactly what would make this pack feel fresh and new again. Everything else is bonus.
crocobaura
Seasoned Ace
3 years ago
I think it would be really nice if sims with level 10 could cook in their own restaurant. What better use of that skill than to share it with the neighbourhood, in the shape of tasty meals? Also, it would be nice if they added all the different cuisines to the restaurant menu. We currently have seafood, italian and experimental but there's also Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican dishes that should be given their own categories for easier sorting. As it is I am not sure which one belongs to which. They need to update and enable the kotatsu table to work with restaurants for a more authentic Japanese experience. Regarding bars in restaurants, I am annoyed that sims will drink only at the bar and any tables intended as bar tables will be used by sims to eat dinner.
Simmingal
Hero
3 years ago
ability to have owner of the restaurant also as the chef of the restaurant

as it is now i fail to see what on earth my sim is supposed to do while randomized townies are making mess of his kitchen

so i hardly ever have my sims own restaurants

also more styles to the waiter host and chef stations

and i wouldn't mind option to not have host

and maybe smaller version of the chef station
Briana2526
Seasoned Traveler
3 years ago
I would also like a soul food restaurant but yeah hire your family members but I also want entertainment so while Sims eat we can have jokesters, someone singing, or someone playing an instrument. Or like a restaurant where it's entertainment like medieval times restaurant. I would also like Surprised proposal back in the Sims.
ChadSims2
Seasoned Novice
3 years ago
"GreenTurtle;c-18018079" wrote:
These are all wonderful ideas, but the ability to hire family/household members as staff excites me the most. Running a family owned restaurant is exactly what would make this pack feel fresh and new again. Everything else is bonus.

Truly same the second I learned you could not run the restaurant as a family or even hire the Sims you wanted with its forced selection list it made me hate the pack as it took away the ability to play as I wanted but I guess that's the story of Sims 4 and its horrible design choices.
Briana2526
Seasoned Traveler
3 years ago
I would like a kids and toddlers meal.
JesLet40
Seasoned Ace
3 years ago
So many good ideas here. The most important ones for me would be the following:

Family restaurants
Hired staff do what they are supposed to do (last time my sim went to dinner the waitress stood chatting with the bar staff the entire night instead of serving food)
Living on the same lot (in general using lot traits to create combinable lots, so each type of lot was also a lot trait and you could combine them, so a residential lot could have the "live in restaurant" as a lot trait, a park could have the lot trait café, pool or skating rink - to just name a few.
Love the idea with kid and toddler meals
Let me hire entertainers for my restaurant
The bar being a part of the restaurant is a great idea

Most of all though, please fix the bug that makes chefs stand outside the restaurant for hours before going to the kitchen!!!!
DoraMilaje333
3 years ago
Great ideas!

I think a Dine Out update should also include likes/dislikes and whims based on food types.

Like real people, Sims should have a taste for particular foods or ingredients. Maybe they get a whim for something spicy, or a salad, or get in the mood for Chinese. Maybe they really want a pizza or a grill dish. If you feed them what they request, they can get a moodlet.

Maybe they have preferences for certain things, like maybe they discover they hate seafood, or they only like gourmet dishes.

Maybe they have a temporary phase where they only want meatless dishes, or only food stalls food, or only want breakfast dishes. If they eat anything else, they get sad.
crocobaura
Seasoned Ace
3 years ago
I wish we could get some nice themed decor for restaurants, like pizza pictures for a pizzeria, or icecream for a gelateria, menu boards for a burger shop, etc. Also some more uniforms, with the short restaurant/waiter type apron.
HavenRose2020
New Spectator
3 years ago
I want my sims to be able to propose over dinner. Whether that's sliding a ring across the table to my sim's date or bringing out a glass of champagne with a ring in it. That would be perfect.