Supporting local restaurants:

Order takeout or delivery and tip generously

by Rosalie Murphy and Allyson Smith

On March 15, Gov. Mike DeWine ordered that all restaurants and bars close dine-in options. However, carry-out and delivery options are still available.

HOW TO ORDER TAKEOUT

Many restaurants already have takeout options available or are switching to a take-out format. Square Scullery’s brick-and-mortar operation, which was designed last year as a “ghost restaurant,” shared on social media: “Our current kitchen and back end of business was literally built entirely for delivery and carry out operations purely in mind, we will keep calm and carry out.”

Square Scullery in Highland Square is open for curbside pickup and delivery Tues. to Sat., noon to 8 pm.

Pictured: Heather and Matt Ulichney of Square Scullery (photo by Ilenia Pezzaniti)

Restaurants are not the only businesses switching to take-out formats. Some bars have liquor licenses that also allow them to sell alcohol to go. For example, lots of local breweries are offering growlers and crowlers for pickup, which can be ordered online in advance. Annabell’s Bar & Lounge is offering beer and Jameson to go.

Also, the City of Akron has temporarily allowed free on-street parking at metered spots to encourage takeout from local restaurants and bars.

If you normally eat in at your favorite restaurant, give them a call to see if they’re offering a carry-out option.

HOW TO ORDER DELIVERY

Justin Phillips, who delivers food for DoorDash and occasionally UberEATS, shares:

“I keep a canister of disinfecting wipes in my car, and I wipe all of the contact points down every hour or so. I have a bottle of hand sanitizer I use every time I touch something outside of the car. I wash my hands whenever possible, although opportunities can be somewhat limited. I have been practicing ‘noncontact delivery, ’ which means I set the food down outside the customer’s door, knock and then take a few steps back so we will not be too close physically when they answer. As always, at no point do I touch the food itself. It is also worth noting that restaurants are taking extra precautions."

Social 8 in Merriman Valley is open for takeout + delivery, Weds. to Sun., 4-8 pm

Pictured: Erica Banks and Kameron Alexander of Social 8 (photo by Charlee Harris)

Justin estimates that about 40% of the orders he fulfills in Akron are from local businesses and the remainder from large chains. (His favorite restaurant is Sweet Mary’s Bakery, but he loves many others.) He suggests calling locally owned restaurants to find out if they have a preferred delivery app. Restaurants have to pay a cut of delivery fees on DoorDash, UberEATS, GrubHub and Postmates. Asking them for a preference gives them more control over where those funds go.

“Now obviously, I want to make a living, so I wouldn’t be telling you this if I didn’t love our local establishments as much as I do,” Justin says. “This is going to be a hard time for everyone, and I want them to make it out the other side.”

Also, he adds, “Consider buying gift cards, since that essentially acts as a loan that they can pay off when the world makes a little more sense.”

Both UberEATS and DoorDash are offering drivers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are diagnosed with or ordered to self-quarantine because of COVID-19, Justin says.

HOW TO SUPPORT SERVICE STAFF

Dining rooms may be closed, but takeout orders are still fi lled by workers, servers and bartenders who relied on tips to make up their income prior to the pandemic. Their incomes are severely impacted by this change.

Tipping was important before, but now it is more important than ever to tip the people who are packaging and delivering your food. Even if you wouldn’t normally tip for counter service, such as in a coffee shop or while getting takeout, budget enough that you can tip generously.

If you order delivery, note that both DoorDash and UberEATS give drivers 100% of tips that customers make through the apps, Justin says.

“Tips, of course, are always welcome, and in general they make up a significant portion of our income,” he says. “When choosing how much to tip, try to be mindful of the fact that your driver is literally risking life, limb and lungs to make sure you get food. That’s the long way of saying to tip as generously as you can reasonably afford.”

Also, take care to wash your hands, and keep yourself healthy and protected prior to interacting with service staff.

// Allyson Smith is a server and writer for The Devil Strip. Rosalie Murphy is the magazine’s editor-in-chief.

April 2020 · Vol 6 · Issue #4 Special Section: The COVID-19 Pandemic

A Walk in the Park Cafe in Firestone Park is open for curbside pickup + delivery daily, from 8 am to 2 pm

Pictured: Jacobe Austin, Jonas Birch and David McConville of A Walk in the Park Cafe (Photo: Ilenia Pezzaniti).