As the coronavirus pandemic continues to break records across the country, Santa Rosa and Sonoma County restaurants need your help, especially following the recent Stay-at-Home order. Will the restaurants we know and love be able to reopen in a post-COVID-19 world? How will the cooks, servers, bussers, and bartenders who staff those restaurants make it through the coming weeks and months with no income?
The dedicated people in the local restaurant industry who have fed us when we’ve needed comfort, popped bottles for us when we’ve had cause to celebrate, or delivered pizza to our doorstep every other night of the week need our support—and fast. So, Visit Santa Rosa has put together a list of Take Out, Delivery, and Curbside Pickup resources for anyone who wants to support Sonoma County restaurants and breweries, and their staff during this unprecedented time.
"Takeout and delivery can go a long way to supporting our local restaurants," said Chef Gray Rollin, owner of Belly East Coast Kitchen and Taproom "...it's a good thing for the local economy and helps businesses, helps service industry workers and ordering takeout or delivery is a good option."
And remember, restaurant gift cards are not necessarily a seasonal item, so you can make good use of various gift-giving opportunities throughout the whole year. Yes, most people think of Christmas when it comes to restaurant gift cards, but don’t discount birthdays, graduations, Father’s and Mother’s Day, and any other gift-giving occasion! Restaurant gift cards allow for the giftee to make their own choices, but it still feels more personal than their friends or family simply giving them cash.
When you purchase a gift card, it sets up a few opportunities beyond just extra revenue for the restaurant. For one, you trust the restaurant’s food and service enough to gift that experience to a loved one. For another, you are setting up a future diner’s experience, and implicit in the act of the gift is that your restaurant is a place they thoroughly recommend. That’s great local word-of-mouth support in action!
