Take-out programs are back in play at all Laguna Beach restaurants. Recent Stay At Home orders went into effect on Sunday evening, Dec 6th at 10 p.m. It is expected to last at least three weeks.
Along with sweeping closure changes, all restaurants are to cease outdoor dining and move to take out/to-go service only.
As of Sunday night, every Laguna Beach restaurant is dialed back to take-out only.
Restaurants everywhere – including those in Laguna Beach – certainly flinched at the news.
Typically in Laguna Beach, the month of December is chock-full of group dining events and happy reunions of families and friends. During our city’s sleepier winter months (October through mid-March), December is that redeeming month that helps restaurants get ahead of their billing and sock-in again for the first quarter’s quieter days.
With no group dining or holiday events on the books, the added closure of outdoor dining is disappointing to all. And it’s worrisome to many.
This is why it’s all the more important for locals and Laguna fans to support the restaurants they love with take-out and to-go orders. Fortunately, our Laguna restaurateurs have this take-out thing down to a science.
“When we first opened up for dining this summer, it was crazy because we had orders coming in from everywhere,” said Reunion Kitchen’s Scott McIntosh.
“People were sitting inside, sitting outside, driving up for curbside delivery, calling in for take-out, and then you’d have those people or their delivery drivers popping in randomly to pick up their food and drinks. It was nuts, particularly for the kitchen. But, once we got a handle on it, I kind of wondered why we hadn’t been doing more of this take-out program all along,” he added.
To Every Season, Churn, Churn, Churn
Last spring, even after restaurants were allowed to start take-out programs, some Laguna restaurants took their time getting mobilized. This time around, they were on it like white on rice. As I started texting and DMing my restaurateurs, they were pinging back almost immediately with their new plans.
GG’s Bistro has planned ahead with take-out menus and gifts to go, all in one place.
Over the next few days, many Laguna restaurants will continue to offer their entire menu for take-out while they work on menus that are more applicable to the season and family meals. Others simply turned a page, loaded a new menu to their website and were off and running early this morning. Still others, like GG’s Bistro, are already looking ahead to the Christmas and New Year’s Holiday – GG’S just debuted its Christmas Market with gifts, decor, gift baskets and plenty of seasonal baked goods.
Restaurants Currently Offering Take-Out & To Go
I’m updating my Online Laguna Beach Restaurant Directory here. The directory is updated daily (and personally!) by me as restaurateurs and chefs dial in their menus, hours, specials and more.
Restaurant owners, please continue to contact me at Diane@TheBestofLagunaBeach.com to be included in the largest, up-to-the-minute directory.
Readers, also feel free to opt-in for weekly email updates for the most creative news from our restaurateurs. Let’s continue to support or restaurants through this holiday season.