Coronavirus forces restaurants to get creative: How to get takeout, family meals, alcohol
When times get tough, restaurants get creative.
Now forced to do only takeout, delivery and drive-thru, restaurants and other prepared food producers are changing the way they do business.
They’re getting creative, serving family-size meals, even delivering beer and finding ways to get you your chocolate fix. Some are donating a percentage of your bill to their employees who are out of work.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is telling California residents to stay at home, but his order still allows people to go out for food from grocery stores and restaurants.
A few restaurants have closed, but here’s how some restaurants and other food makers in Fresno and Clovis are making sure you get fed.
Takeout
First, the basics. Many restaurants have changed their hours, only offering takeout during lunch and dinner times.
There are hundreds of restaurants in town. Too many for us to list here, so look up your favorite restaurant on Facebook or Instagram – or give them a phone call – to see what they’re doing.
Restaurants recommend customers call the restaurant and order directly. That way, they keep the full sale and don’t have to give the typical 20% to 30% cut to delivery services like DoorDash or Uber Eats.
Most will bring your food to your car.
If you don’t want to leave the house, DoorDash and Postmates both have “leave at door” options. Other delivery apps encourage you to leave notes in the app for the delivery person to leave the food outside.
But let’s move on to the fun part: The food.
Many restaurants have developed special takeout menus that they’re sharing online.
Family-style meals: Many are selling meals designed to feed a family of four or five at a price that’s lower than ordering off a typical menu.
Bobby Salazar’s in the Tower District, for example, is selling 4-pound bags of pre-cooked meat, like shredded beef and pulled pork, along with rice and beans.
Heirloom Eats at Friant Road and Fresno Street is offering 25% off family meals serving from four to eight people. Customers pick a salad, wood-grilled proteins like chicken and tri-tip, and two sides. Prices range from $43.50 to $87. Order via its website or app.
Lots of other restaurants are doing this, too many to list here. Check with your favorite restaurant for details.
High-end restaurants: Restaurants like Cracked Pepper Bistro and Trelio are doing takeout for the first time. So you can get that bread pudding Cracked Pepper is known for, or a roasted lamb loin from Trelio.
Their menus are online.
Food trucks: Food trucks can still operate with increased restrictions like extra cleaning. You must stand at least 6 feet away from other people in line who aren’t your family, and lines can’t get too long. And you can’t eat the food there, but must take it to go.
Fresno Street Eats is hosting a few food trucks at a time outside Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co. this weekend. They’ll be there from noon to 7 p.m. through Sunday. See the Fresno Street Eats Facebook page for info about trucks and times.
Drinks to go: Cocktails and more
The state of California on Friday made it temporarily legal to get alcoholic drinks to go when customers order food. The drinks must be in a secure container with a lid. Some rules remain. If a restaurant is limited to beer and wine sales, it still can only sell beer and wine, for example.
Cracked Pepper Bistro is offering pre-made cocktails from a menu on its website, like Old Fashioneds and Negronis. Also, 13 Prime Steak will soon have its cocktail menu online. Casa Corona is selling bottles of beer and cans of White Claw hard seltzer.
Several Mexican restaurants on Friday were trying to find ways to put margaritas in sealed containers.
Wine: You can also buy bottles of wine from many restaurants. Eureka! restaurant, Vino Grille & Spirits, Trelio and Annex Kitchen are selling them, for example.
Beer: Craft beer bars and breweries are doing pickup and delivery orders of beer.
Full Circle Brewing Co. has launched a delivery and curbside pickup service at fullcircle2go.com. Order online and pick up from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at its downtown location, or have it delivered to your home.
Spokeasy Public House on Van Ness Avenue in the Tower District has an online store selling craft beer and a pickup window open from noon to 8 p.m.
Tioga-Sequoia is selling cans and bottles of its beer, including 32-ounce crowlers, 6-packs and 12-packs. You can order online and pick up at the downtown brewery, or get it delivered in much of the city with a $75 minimum. See its website for details.
Bread: Although there have been reports of bread selling out at some grocery stores, bakery La Boulangerie de France in Fig Garden Village is still making and selling bread.
Meals that help employees: Many restaurants are open, but working with a skeleton crew. Some are looking out for their employees who are out of work.
The Annex Kitchen has created an employee relief fund. Half of all money spent on gift cards between now and Wednesday, March 25 will go toward employees. Gift cards can be purchased online.
Pardini’s Catering will start offering meals Monday, March 23 for families of all sizes. Because so many of its catering employees are out of work, 30% of your bill goes to an employee relief fund. Donations can also be made online.
The menu will be on its website. Customers can pick up meals at Pardini’s 2257 W. Shaw Ave. location, or get free delivery on orders over $50 within four miles.
Chocolate: Fresno-based Debbas Chocolates is selling a $25 “stock up box” full of chocolates with free shipping. The boxes vary and may include dark and milk chocolate bars, maple almonds, assorted tumbled chocolates, and other chocolatey items.
Order on its website.
