Restaurants are offering take-out to serve community, keep their businesses open

Apr 01, 2020

The first couple of months of 2020 were a mixed bag for restaurants in the region. Some were doing pretty well, buoyed by a good snowmobile season. Others were enduring the winter blahs and anticipating a strong spring and summer tourist season.

All of that is a distant memory. In early March, the pandemic was coming and by mid-March business in restaurants had slowed to a trickle as people began avoiding public places. Restaurants were considering putting reserve signs on half the tables to preserve social distancing. That, although it was only two weeks ago, also seems like a distant memory. On March 19 the order came down from the province that all restaurant dining rooms were to close and that only take-out and delivery would be permitted.

This has devastated many sit-down restaurants.

We did an unscientific survey of a selection of restaurants to see what is available.

Moving from southeast to northwest, we start with Lavalee’s Cookery in Inverary.

Lavalee’s sells sandwiches, burgers, baked goods and prepared meals for take-out. Specials daily. They are open from 11am-7pm Monday to Saturday, 11am-6pm on Sundays, offering phone ahead and curbside pickup for those who need it.

Over at Mrs. Garrett’s Bakeshop, things are running as normal. Open Monday to Friday 8am-5pm, Saturday 8am-4pm and Sunday 9am-1pm.

At Ormsbee’s Mercantile, the store carries groceries and take-out snacks, home baking and meals. The hours have been altered slightly from normal.

The Holiday Country Manor remains open in Battersea. There is take-out dinner available from a rotating menu from Thursday to Sunday from 5pm-8pm, and brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10am -1pm. Customers can pre-order for scheduled pick-up.

The Creekside Pub, also in Battersea, has take-out available on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 4-7pm.

All of the normal menu items, including take-home dinners, are available from the Sydenham Country Café, and ordering by phone or directly off their website is available. The café is open from Monday to Friday from 8am-3pm (except it closes at 2pm on Wednesdays) and 9am-3pm on Saturdays. As about delivery.

The Point Restaurant (Sydenham) is open from Thursday to Sunday from 4pm - 8pm for pickup or delivery with standard menu items and weekly specials.

Over in Harrowsmith, the Pizza Place is open from 11am-10pm Monday to Friday and 11am -12midnight on Saturday. The menu is the same as always for takeout and delivery.

Ginos Pizza and Spaghetti is closing an hour earlier than normal each day, and also offers take-out and delivery only at the present time.

Muddy Waters Restaurant in Verona is open from 11am-7pm from Wednesday to Sunday, offering a special menu, take-out and delivery.

MOM Restaurant in Verona is open 4pm – 8pm every day for take-out.

Seed to Sausage on Road 38 near Sharbot Lake is offering dinner-for-four specials from Wednesday to Sunday, takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available.

Maples Restaurant in Sharbot Lake is open from 11am -7pm every day for take-out.

The Sharbot Lake Country Inn has opened for take-out or delivery on Wednesdays and Fridays, order ahead on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 3pm and 5pm. Pickup after 5:30 on Wednesdays and Fridays, and delivery after 6.

Gray’s Grocery – the Corner Bakery (Sharbot Lake) is open for phone, text message, email or Facebook orders. In addition to meals, fresh baked good, and Gilmour’s meat, they are now offering grocery delivery in association with Cisco. Pick-up or delivery available.

North of 7 Restaurant (Plevna) is open from 11am-7pm Fridays and Saturdays, take-out only (note – last week we reported that delivery was available from North of 7, but that was an error)

Addison’s Restaurant (Northbrook) will be offering a roast beef or turkey dinner on Easter Weekend.

North of 7 Cod Father (Northbrook) is open most days for lunch and dinner for take-out

Rosie’s Café in Denbigh is open 7 days, and is offering supplies, groceries, and fresh made pies. Take-out and delivery available.

While talking to the restaurant owners, in preparing this article over the last week, they expressed a range of emotion. They were all concerned about the importance of following not only the regulations that they always follow, but the extra disinfection at point of sale and in their kitchens, and worried about the safety of their staff as well as their clientele. Many, particularly those who normally do most of their business as sit-down restaurants, are facing significant financial challenges that will barely be offset by take-out and delivery business, which they are offering as a service and a way to keep staff employed and themselves busy.

As one of them said, “we look to April and May as the beginning of our busy, profitable season, and now all we see are question marks ahead.” The promise of payroll rebates, easy term loans, and extra time for remittances does little to offer them solace since the only way for them to employ people, pay fixed costs and generate profits, is to keep a restaurant busy.”

For those who were already set up for take-out as a mainstay of their business, it is not as hard financially, but the burden of the added work due to physical distancing and extra cleaning, fear for the well-being of employees and adjustments to changes in business patterns, are all being felt by every business.

As another business owner said, “we kind of took this on with the attitude of ‘lets figure out how to get through the day, the week, two weeks, and that gave us some energy. My sense now is, from myself, my staff and everyone, really, is that we are all getting tired.”

(The information in the above article was gathered early this week. Hours may change at any time.)