Yelp to say if restaurants take COVID seriously. Boise Facebook group already does that.

Yelp will utilize user feedback to share whether restaurants stick to claims about coronavirus precautions, the company announced Tuesday.

The crowdsourced feature, part of new COVID-19 functionality, is rolling out immediately, Akhil Kuduvalli, head of consumer product, wrote on Yelp’s blog.

Businesses are able to list safety precautions such as “masks required” or amenities such as “heated outdoor seating.” But, according to Eater, “users will only be able to submit direct feedback on the matter of social distancing and staff mask usage. Yelp users can provide this feedback by answering pop-up surveys or by clicking the ‘Edit’ icon next to the COVID-19 section on a business’s page.”

With enough positive responses, a restaurant will receive a green checkmark next to a safety measure. Mixed or negative feedback from users? Orange question mark.

More COVID-19 information should be welcome news for diners nationwide seeking lots of masks and lots of room when they go out to eat.

But in Boise, an informal method of championing conscientious eateries has been going on since last year on Facebook.

“Boise COVID Safe Restaurants,” a private group, was created in May 2020. It’s grown to 1,200 members. The group avoids being “a platform to bash businesses,” administrator Andrea Blomquist wrote on the page. However, “if a business is observed blatantly ignoring guidelines, people have a right to know.”

A second Facebook group, “Treasure Valley COVID Safe Businesses,” was launched in September. It has just under 700 members.

Like Yelp reviews, Facebook posts aren’t perfect judges and juries. Individuals posting observations won’t always be accurate or fair. But the “Boise COVID Safe Restaurants” group has shown a propensity for complimenting places, rather than singling out and trashing them.

“Just had dinner at Golden Star on Orchard and it was fabulous!” a member posted Jan. 8. “Tables spaced properly, all customers masked, staff was gloved with masks and face shields, and those waiting for to go orders were sitting apart.”

“Ditto to Golden Star praise,” replied another member. “We had similar experiences recently and in the last couple of months.”

On the other hand, another Jan. 8 post outed a restaurant and saloon in McCall. It purportedly had “mostly” masked employees and a full bartop with a “bunch of people sitting elbow to elbow and not wearing masks.”

Or maybe the diner was confused and actually in Canyon County?

That’s a joke — sorta. In reality, some restaurants west of Boise are making an effort.

“Our Sizzler restaurant in Nampa is taking ALL COVID-19 protocols (seriously),” co-owner Gretchen Anderson posted in the group on Jan. 6. “You can feel safe there.”

The “Boise COVID Safe Restaurants” group has been a mostly positive experience, Blomquist said in a phone interview.

“I created it because, initially, I was concerned about the number of places that weren’t following careful protocols,” she said. “I have older parents and people that just didn’t want to go out at all. I wanted to make a place where they could look online and see what places are safe to go to.”

Despite masks being viewed politically by some Americans, most users have been polite, Blomquist said.

She’s had to give only three members the boot.

“Honestly, it’s been pretty rare that people have been rude,” she said. “... It hasn’t been a huge problem.”

This story was originally published January 14, 2021 at 4:00 AM.