The Take Out Edition

LOCAL RESTAURANTS OFFER PATRONS CURBSIDE SERVICE AND DINE-AT-HOME OPTIONS

ARTICLE BY VANELIS RIVERA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY MOORE CLARK
STYLING BY TAYLOR BENNETT

In the catastrophic wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many industries have been brutalized. As measures issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) limited the congregation of large groups of people, the restaurant industry quickly became financially susceptible in the aggressive upheaval. To survive, many employers rapidly changed their business models to match the demands of a new dine-at-home normal, exploring and incorporating innovative ideas and concepts. The lesson: the times, they are a-changin’, and so should we—for now.

“Necessity is the mother of invention,” says Will Erwin, Operations Director of Newk’s Eatery. A significant adjustment for Newk’s, as well as everybody else in the industry, has been making food in an empty dining space; yet, Newk’s had already been developing a curbside model, following the growing trend adopted by many US retailers like Walmart and Best Buy. Though only testing at a few restaurants, they had to “roll it out” for all locations once restaurants shut down following orders from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards on March 16th. Like most local restaurants that have kept their kitchens open, Newk’s has had to become flexible and work within the confines of changes in consumer demand. But ordering meals from Newk’s is still straightforward. You can go to their website or app, select the “Curbside Pickup” link, park in a designated spot, and call them once you’ve arrived. They’ll bring your order out, and place it in your passenger’s seat or trunk. “This is probably something that we’ll continue going forward because guests really love it,” says Erwin.

When asked how she had been holding up, Jenifer Johnson, owner of Trio’s Dining, replied: “The only thing I can say is that we’re taking it day by day.” Keeping on, keeping on like the rest of us, Johnson is still dusting off her amazement, revealing that in the twenty-five years she has been in business, she never experienced anything to this magnitude. Though curbside service at Trio’s is manageable because of their drive-thru window, they’ve had to tweak in different areas. Employees who would normally lean out the window to better interact with customers are now keeping their head inside, using sanitizer, and changing gloves after every customer. “The front house is a constant cleaning as if we had people in there, but we don’t… just because of people going home and coming back to work,” she says. Already holding themselves to a high level of sanitation, using bleach water and color-coded cutting boards, they are regarding the high stakes of prevention with all seriousness. Even restaurants like Newk’s, “notorious for being clean freaks,” says Erwin, are taking their employees’ temperatures at the door, and having all workers fill out forms to confirm whether they or any of their family members have felt symptoms. Additionally, some of the Newk’s sanitation methods have increased; high-touch point areas like door handles, drink stations, and registers are wiped with a sanitation solution every hour.

At the center of this revolving frenzy are the service industry’s finest. Ashley Keever, owner of Monroe’s Chicken Salad Chick, and co-owner of The Muffin Tin and Trenton House, credits her team with the progress her restaurant has made adjusting to curbside pick-up. “I love my team members,” she says. “We’re kind of like a family. It’s stressful, but on the other side, I’m very happy.” Morale has been high at Chicken Salad Chick due to employees helping each other out. A smaller staff has seen the front and back of the house line dissolve. The kitchen staff, in particular, has enjoyed the change of scenery when needed at the front of the house, having to run orders out to guests or answering phones. The group that has stayed with Keever are some of her core people. “They’ve risen to the challenge one-hundred percent,” she says. “They bend over backwards and stay past shift time.” Across the board, layoffs have been inevitable, but many restaurants are striving to keep as many employed as budgets allow. Trio’s has kept a full staff. “My employees, work really hard… I always feel like the mother bear,” says Johnson. “Everyone’s hanging in there,” she says, adding that Trio’s has kept their normal working hours, the consistency of the scheduling helping provide stability. Still, front house employees who depend on tips have been the most affected, so at Trio’s these employees alternate working the window at a different pay rate, plus pick-up tips. “People have been pretty generous in that area,” says Johnson.

“We’ve been working our butts off,” surmises Chef Cory Bahr, owner and founder of Parish Restaurant. Bahr acknowledges this is a terrifying time but chooses to embrace the challenge and aims to come out of this stronger and better prepared to serve the community. The Parish team is making use of this time to create and cook “fun food,” meals the team usually enjoy. These family dinner packages can be ordered at the Parish website and are delightfully themed and versatile. From Tuesday’s “Dinner With Your Italian Friends” (Nonna’s handmade meatballs, creamy stone-ground polenta, arrabiata sauce, Parmesan, and garlic butter breadsticks, and more) to Saturday’s “Family BBQ in the Backyard” (St. Louis-style ribs, smoked pork shoulder, classic potato salad, “damn fine” baked beans, and more), comfort food is steadily becoming Parish’s culinary theme. “We’re using this as a time to almost metamorphosize into a better version of ourselves. We’re going to get back to the basics. We’re going to come out of this better,” says Bahr.

People are ordering their favorites wherever they go, grasping for normalcy and comfort in foods usually tied to family, good times, and celebration. Specializing in varieties of casseroles, southern staples, fresh bread, and all-American sweets, Thurman’s Food Factory is ready to serve customers what their hearts and taste buds desire. Top sellers include casseroles like chicken cheese spaghetti, chicken tetrazzini, lasagna, and their number one creation, the Blend of the Bayou casserole. Desserts are also available—cakes, pies, and individual sweets like lemon squares, brownies, Hello Dollies, and their wall of cookies (made everyday). Though running into a few challenges, particularly with suppliers limiting products, owner Thurman Dickey has made do with quick thinking and improvisation. “We’re trying to make people’s lives a bit easier,” says Dickey.

Most restaurants are taking note of the need for larger-scale orders that are not only affordable but also nutritional. At Newk’s, that’s taking the form of catering and meal kits. These meal kits don’t just offer lunch and dinner essentials for families, but present an alternative for shoppers to get basic grocery necessities like bread and sliced meats. That’s not to say that ordering from the regular menu is not an option. Their customer favorites are still in demand, especially the healthy items. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not eating the greatest,” says Diedra Adair, Marketing Director at Newk’s. Knowing she can pick up her favorite Newk’s salad on a regular basis to save on “those calories and carbs,” eases her daily frustrations. True to their motto, the Newk’s team is feeding what matters. “We want to provide delicious and fulfilling meals to our guests,” says Erwin. This locally owned franchise has been adding weekly deals and promotions on their Facebook page and E-Club as a helping hand to their customers, just another way to say “We’re missing our guests! But we’re thankful to still have jobs and service our community.”

“We are fortunate enough to still offer our full menu,” says Molly Jeter McCullar, manager of Enoch’s Irish Pub & Cafe. One of their top-sellers has swiftly become their new family pack—two adult cheeseburgers with fries, two kids meals with fries, and a fruit cup. Other specials keep getting added on a weekly basis to combat the financial hardships wrought by the global standstill, like their new lunch special where you can buy one menu item and get the other half off. Happy hour prices on alcohol sales are still available as well, “To get us all through,” as they’ve been saying. Trio’s has also been taking advantage of the state’s decision to allow the sale of carry-out containers of beer and wine with food orders. Though not open for Sunday brunch, Trio’s is still offering gallon mimosas. “Staying in is the new going out. You can still get a really nice bottle of wine and a nice meal,” says Johnson.

Coronavirus hasn’t halted everyone’s life, which is why restaurants like Chicken Salad Chick are turning their attention to the healthcare heroes at the frontline of this pandemic. “You know they’re stressed out, working their tails off. They’re in all this gear that’s hot as Hades. They’re worn out,” says Keever. Acting on the restaurant’s motto— “spread joy, enrich lives, and serve others”—has never been so necessary. Her team has been taking meals to hospitals and clinics. As a result, they’ve gotten an outpouring of gratitude. Recently, they received a touching selfie from the respiratory therapy crew at St. Francis Medical Center. “It makes your day when you see them smiling because something went right that day for them,” says Keever. Paying it forward is our life force as a community, and it’s being practiced by customers, too. Many people are buying restaurant gift certificates for friends and family members in need. At Enoch’s, the widow of Police Officer David Elahi called in to donate $500.00 to cover law enforcement orders, a kindness beyond description.

“If you’re going to learn anything from this pandemic, it’s that it’s the neighbor, the person next to you. Those are the people that matter most,” says Bahr. When you buy a meal, you’re helping employers keep their employees working. At this point, we’re all essential helpers in a chain of survival. “I’m trying to think of something that Enoch himself would say,” says McCullar when asked what message she’d want to send customers. “Dad likes to say, peace, love, and Guinness gravy,” she laughs. As her tone takes a contemplative tone, she finishes with, “Good music. Good food. That’s what we’re about in Louisiana. We know what to do. So keep being Louisiana strong.”

Currently, many local restaurants are offering curbside pick-up. To find out more, call your favorite eateries and/or visit the Facebook group NELA Curbside Pickup, Catering, Delivery Restaurants, and Local Markets.