Some Thoughts on Ordering Takeout/Delivery from Restaurants

As we approach the two-week period of the shutdown in which all Massachusetts restaurants can only allow takeout/delivery options due to the coronavirus outbreak, questions remain about the safety of doing such options. While some have decided to not order from restaurants at all, instead cooking at home and/or getting delivery from grocery stores (the latter of which poses its own risks), there are some best practices that people can take to lower any risk of contracting the virus, including deciding on which option might be the safest.

A few options that may potentially be the safest include walkup/window takeout, curbside pickup, and drive-thru, in part because human interaction is limited in each case. A few things to keep in mind, however, include trying not to touch any surface (window, counter, outside walls) for walkup/window takeout and keeping interaction to a minimum with all three. In addition, it may be best to use plastic when paying for any of these options rather than using bills which have been touched by countless people.

Another relatively safe option is delivery, which is a bit like curbside pickup but rather than going to the establishment to get your food without going into the restaurant, delivery is brought to your home. This potentially poses an additional problem that curbside pickup might not have including not knowing the exact path of the order from the restaurant to your residence. The issue, of course, applies to curbside pickup on a smaller scale, but because of the increased potential of the unknown, it is best to pay with plastic rather than bills (like with curbside) and perhaps have no interaction at all, paying in advance online or by phone and then having the delivery person simply leave the food out front. (Just make sure you included a tip if you paid in advance--and really, you should be tipping for any of these options right now.)

The takeout option, and more specifically, going into a dining spot to pick up your food for takeout, might be the riskiest option, so much so that some communities such as Arlington no longer allow patrons to even enter an establishment anymore. One of the problems with this option is the potential for social distancing problem, especially if it's a small place or if it's crowded, plus there is an increased possibility that you might touch something in the restaurant (a counter, chair, wall, table, etc.) that could have the virus on it. If you decide on this option, it's best to be extremely careful from start to finish.

As indicated above, all of these options do pose a risk, so there's definitely nothing wrong with opting for cooking and grocery store shopping instead, though those pose risks as well; with both, it is best to toss any bags and packages if possible and use your own containers for the food, and with the latter, social distancing is critical, so it might be best to hit a market just before it closes for the night because the crowds will likely be gone by then.

Finally, to use one of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh's lines, it's not about you; for any of the restaurant options above, the workers get put at risk whenever there's any kind of interaction, from asking questions to picking up food to paying in person to even talking to the staff. Restaurant workers--and grocery store workers as well--face some serious risks every single day right now, so try your best to keep all interaction to a minimum, at least until the shutdown is rescinded (and even then, it's probably best to continue doing this, since the virus will still be out there).

For now, the restaurant shutdown ends on April 6, but it is likely that this date won't hold, so stay tuned for more updates.

Posted in: Dining Spots