Ways To Support Our Local Restaurants, Bakeries & More

The pandemic has disrupted businesses of all types around the country and the world including those in our local areas. Nearly two years after its beginning, we still see the effects it’s had and changes businesses have made.

In the hospitality industry, which relies on in-person interaction, many restaurants, bars, and more had to shut their doors entirely to dine-in customers. Luckily the majority of area restaurants are now open for dine in at full capacity but now have to navigate the new ways of the industry.

While rules and regulations were put in place to help contain the spread of the virus and protect everyone’s safety, restaurants and bars worldwide are still facing the strain.

As establishments strive to return to normal, they need help from their local communities.

We have put together several tips and strategies to support our local businesses during these times. From things as easy as ordering food delivery, including curbside pickup, to tipping your delivery workers and getting active on social media, there’s plenty we can all do! Every little bit helps in some way. Check out some of the best ways to help out our local restaurants, bakeries and more!

TAKEOUT, DELIVERY & GIFT CARDS Even though most establishments are open and operating as usual with in-person dining again, many are doing their best to offer more extensive delivery and carryout options as an added form of income. Every order counts, and your help makes a big difference as it helps the establishments not only to stay open but also supports at least some of their staff.

Many restaurants are also taking advantage of thirdparty delivery services, such as GrubHub and DoorDash. Be sure to checkout these apps to see what area restaurants are offering delivery with these services, you may even find

But, keep in mind that third-party delivery services take a large chunk of profits from the restaurant, sometimes up to 30% per order. So, while it’s still a good way to support your local restaurant, the most helpful way to go about it is to check if the restaurant offers it's own delivery service so they see more profit from your order.

Eating Out Without Going Out In addition to being a great way to help our local restaurants, taking advantage of their delivery and takeout services can also be a great way to add some fun to any night of the week! Between options like contactless delivery and curbside pickup, there are plenty of options for supporting your favorites. And the best part, you’ll have a nice night in with great food and your favorite show to binge!

Gift Cards Anytime you are looking for a gift for a friend or loved on is a great time to give back to your local

community! Gift cards are the perfect addition for your upcoming Easter baskets. What better way to show your gratitude this than by stopping in or buying a gift card to support your local neighborhood restaurants, bakeries and more? You’ll help local establishments while putting a smile on the faces of your loved ones!

KEEP DRINKING YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL BEVERAGES

As a result of the shift to off-premise dining both breweries and local bars have added to-go beverages to their menus. Now you can enjoy your favorite craft beers, seltzers, wines, and other beverages at the bar or in the comfort of your own home! The same goes for non-alcoholic draft drinks such as kombucha and cold-brew!

Crowlers and Growlers Breweries and local bars have taken advantage of to-go beverages. Many are offering their

top-selling beers in sealed containers like beer cans, growlers, or something more unique and perfect for two or more – crowlers. You can grab a pack of to-go brews on your way out or stop in and pick some up!

Order 4- or 6-Packs Local grocery stores are most likely still going to be selling most of their usual beers, and this should include some local craft brews. When you go out to get groceries, you can easily pick up a 4-pack or 6-pack of your favorite beer.

HELP RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES

Employees of restaurants and bars who have had to make serious changes or had to shut down are experiencing experienced a significant lifestyle change, and unfortunately, some were out of a job completely. Even though business is returning to normal, it’s important to support each other.

Small gestures can go a very long way in easing stress and making people feel happy. Check on your friends who work in this industry by talking to them often, making sure they have a support system when needed.

Staffing Crisis For restaurant and bar owners, the return to normal operations won't be the end of tough times, as lost profits and slow returns to normalcy will affect this industry the most. With the current staffing crisis, many bars and restaurants are understaffed as you may have noticed in many of our area restaurants. The best way for you to help is to continue supporting your favorite local restaurants and to understand any long wait times or slower service.

Continue to Tip Restaurant Workers For restaurants that switched to takeout and delivery, workers have likely had to take a sizable reduction in pay. For this reason, tipping when you order is even more crucial than ever before.

You should continue to tip delivery drivers and tip when you pick up your take out orders. This can be a big help for them, and if nothing else, it will certainly brighten their day.

Connect on Social Media

Why it Helps Social media continues to be one of the most common ways for people to stay connected with the world and the people in their community. This was especially true when people were physically isolated and likely to be working from home during the pandemic. Social media was used as a way to stay connected more frequently.

That’s precisely why restaurants with a strong online presence are in a good position to engage audiences and have their content seen. For establishments in the hospitality industry, this kind of exposure is essentially the best way to ensure that people will remember them since customers can dine in once again. Now that things are more stable and open again, social media exposure still serves as a reminder for people to visit their favorite area restaurants, bakeries, bars and more again.

Stay Up-To-Date Whether your favorite restaurant is posting once a day or once a week, you can help out by keeping up with their updates and engaging with them. Reactions and comments, even simple ones, can help them appear and reappear on people’s feeds, thereby giving them more visibility.

Share Posts In addition to reacting and commenting, another way to increase an establishment’s visibility is to share their posts and possibly add some of your own messaging to them. This is a great way to give them publicity among your network, which they may not tap into ordinarily. You will see that Panorama shares local businesses posts on our Facebook page regularly to help boost visibility.

Events

Some restaurants & bars have started to host more events as a method to increase traffic to their business. Check out websites and social media platforms for your favorite restaurants or check Panorama each month to see what kind of events are coming up!

Write Positive Reviews

Something else that can potentially be very helpful is to use Yelp. Leaving positive reviews and comments for your favorite places (while using relevant words such as takeout and delivery) can help the business get more exposure to other diners looking for the same experience. In the long run, your review can help improve overall ratings for these restaurants. It will encourage people to try their food and increase foot traffic through their doors!