Now more than ever, helping local restaurants by ordering takeout is essential for their survival. Since the pandemic started, restaurants have been forced to stop in-person dining and now although most have reopened, it is at limited capacity.

   Additionally, many people refrain from eating inside restaurants for their safety, so the majority of restaurants are unable to even get 50% of the business in-restaurant that they would pre-COVID.

    The primary solution to this is shifting to a more takeout-dominated business model. Being able to provide a quick and safe way to eat restaurant made meals is one of the things that helped Sonia Baig ’21 get through quarantine.

     Baig says, “My parents are good cooks, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that over time, cooking three meals a day, it would get sorta dull and repetitive, so being able to change things up by ordering takeout was really nice.”

     Baig and her family didn’t just order takeout from anywhere. Instead of ordering from powerhouse chains who could more easily withstand the effects of the pandemic, they were mindful to support smaller, local restaurants. She explains that she and her family “try to order from different local restaurants each time we get takeout so that our money is going towards small, vulnerable businesses who may be struggling to weather the pandemic.” Specifically, Baig recommends Cafe Ena in South Minneapolis and Shuang Cheng in Dinkytown.

     Baig highlights some of the benefits driving to pick up takeout food had on her mental health: “since I was home all the time and never really left the house, leaving to pick up food was always a good reason to get out of the house. It was really nice to leave my neighborhood, and just drive and listen to music. I found it very calming.”

     Ordering takeout is the perfect way to treat yourself and support local businesses.