Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the majority of local businesses have shut down in Nevada County. However, through the last few weeks of quarantine, many restaurants have stayed open, offering delivery and curbside pick-up services to locals during this trying time.
“I have taken advantage of restaurants’ curbside pick up services because every now and then my family and I would like to eat something that is not homemade,” said Senior Justin Roberts. “Either because it is easier or we want to change up the menu plan by having something already made from a food place.”
“I think that the curbside [pick-up] is a good way for people to have access to restaurants without the worry of going inside and potentially getting sick or getting others sick,” said Junior Maddie Pratt.
The following list constitutes some, though not all, local and popular restaurants offering curbside, delivery, or take out: Trailblazers, Cake Bakery and Cafe, Olive Garden, Sunrise Cafe, Old Town Cafe, LOP Clubhouse, Lazy Dog Chocolateria, Original Mels Diner, Chick-Fil-A, Wendy’s, El Agave Taqueria, Sergio’s, and Chipotle.
Christine Cain, owner of Cake Bakery and Cafe, a locally owned, French-inspired bakery in Grass Valley, offered a list of items they are offering through curbside pick-up and delivery.
“We are focusing more on necessity based items, not just the fancy French pastries we normally do,” she said. “ … We have yeast and flour for sale, because a lot of people are calling and asking for pantry items like eggs, milk, [and] flour … And we’re also focusing more on dinner delivery right now — pick-up and delivery. So I’m doing lasagna, butternut squash lasagna, and stuffed cabbage so people can have dinners, because everyone is homeschooling and I have a kid, so the last thing I want to do is make dinner. And grocery stores are inundated, so we’re trying to help out so people don’t have to go to the grocery store.”
She continued to explain how Cake is handling business with knowledge of the pandemic.
“I used to be an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) in San Francisco, so I’m super conscientious of cross contamination and keeping everything really clean and sterile,” she said. “So I decided to just have one employee that is [in charge of] that and just focusing on training her, so that it’s just super clean. I treat every situation like I’m infected and the person I’m coming into contact with is infected, so that we’re using the best procedures to keep everything sterile and safe.”
A few students described the difference between the different food options restaurants are offering.
“I think either way you’re interacting with a bunch of people,” said Sophomore Mariah Crandall. “Anyone from that car has interacted with just as many people [as if you went in to pick up food].”
Roberts focused on the food quality rather than the spread of the virus.
“I think pick-up meals could be healthier than curbside pick-up in general because curbside pick-up is more tied with fast food restaurants than home cooked meals being given out,” he said. “In my opinion, both are equal in value since it is the meal that matters, not the method.”
As the Coronavirus can be dangerous and even deadly for those with respiratory health issues, some students are unable to go outside, even to pick up food, such as Crandall.
“I personally have not [picked up food] because I haven’t been allowed to leave my house because of my asthma,” she said.
A sentiment likely to be shared by other small, local businesses, Ms. Cain described how this pandemic has affected her business.
“It has totally affected my business because [normally] a lot of people come and hang out and have pastries and coffee,” she said. “So it’s definitely like a local space to hang out and spend some time. So we’re just trying to navigate how to resuscitate some business.”
Crandall added a final comment about the next few difficult weeks.
“Everyone stay quarantined inside and stay safe!”
