CUISINE
TAKEOUT WINS
Dining Out During COVID-19
By Aaron R. Fodiman
Photography by Gram
Restaurateurs like Tina Marie and Javier Avila are reworking
their operations in order to serve their customers during
these difficult times.
JULY/AUGUST 2020 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 147
The closure of restaurants
during the pandemic in early
March had a strange effect on
some of our Tampa Bay area
eateries that were already doing
a successful business in takeout.
Many of those restaurants reported
takeout sales increased so much,
exceeding their sales before the
state’s closure of restaurants. Most
attributed this phenomenon to two
factors. First, there was far less
competition, since many restaurants
were not open for takeout, and
second, many people who did not
want to have to shop for food found
that takeout was easier for them
than cooking or preparing meals
at home.
For most restaurants, whether to
offer takeout or not depended on
available parking and a multitude
of other factors. Restaurants were
inclined to offer takeout if their
locations could easily adapt to cars pulling
up for pickup. Many restaurants simply
were not physically located where takeout
would be practical. Additionally, many
restaurants were not willing to go to the
takeout scenario for economic reasons, or
simply because their employees did not
want to come in to work.
That changed again when restaurants
were allowed to reopen with limited
seating. Many of them were able to expand
their exterior seating onto sidewalks and
parking areas, as governments such
as Clearwater closed streets to allow
restaurants room to set up outside dining.
However, for many restaurants, being at
50% capacity is an optimistic dream, while
others depend on operating at far higher
paper menus. They are requiring
their staff to wear masks and
are enforcing social distancing.
However, many establishments
are allowing their patrons to
decide if they will wear masks
while dining or not, which is
another reason why takeout has
become popular. You don’t have
to wear a mask to eat at home.
People are discovering ways
to avoid direct contact with door
handles and elevator buttons by
using napkins or other disposable
products, which seems to be
helping the problem, and hand
sanitizers are everywhere.
Hopefully, medical science will
find a way to effectively fight
the virus. But in the meantime,
find ways to adjust to your new
lifestyle. Please keep in mind
that if you want to continue the
joy of dining out, you should do
what you can to support your favorite
restaurants. This ordeal has devastated
some and will eventually economically
cripple others.
The area’s restaurant community has
served us well over the years and now
there is an opportunity to help support
these dining establishments in their time
of need. Dining on food prepared by
professionals has added to your lifestyle
on many levels throughout the years. So
dine out or order in, since the jobs you
save will make life better for you and
others. Restaurants are an essential part
of the local economy and lifestyle. Please,
support your restaurants, as they fight to
stay in business and to keep you healthy. 9
occupancy levels to be profitable. To date,
we have not heard of lines forming outside
of restaurants, but it does make sense to
call ahead to make a reservation, and many
are requiring reservations.
Where all this will go in the future is still
a mystery. Some restaurateurs worry that
COVID-19 cases will increase as rules are
relaxed and that some restrictions could
return, hurting any efforts they have made
to reopen. However, some visionaries are
reworking their venues and preparing to
capitalize on the situation, or at least to
continue on under the new rules, whatever
they may be.
Restaurants are taking the steps
necessary to keep their customers healthy
by sanitizing everything and by using
single use plastic utensils and throwaway