Local restaurants adapt to offer services during COVID-19 pandemic

River Rock Roasting Company, La Verkin, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of the River Rock Roasting Company Facebook, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — As the state of Utah has announced that there will be no more dining in at restaurants across the state, local businesses have had to adapt to the new rules in new and unique ways.

Stock image, St. George News

The health department’s guidelines are ever-changing, which adds stress for business owners and their employees. But the one constant has been the community’s support of local restaurants and businesses.

Some customers are leaving bigger tips to put more money toward workers who are possibly risking their health to continue operations, while others are buying gift cards and certificates to put money directly into the businesses.

This has been the case at Vuduu Pizza where people are buying certificates right now to use later.

“We’ve been giving out certificates, a lot of certificates,” owner Nayland Smith said. “Different organizations or companies will buy a bunch of certificates just to give as handouts right now. Buying those really helps.”

Vuduu Pizza is currently offering contactless delivery right to customers, or people can pick up orders directly from the restaurant. They are doing curbside pickup, or customers can go into the restaurant to pick up orders directly.

River Rock Roasting Company in La Verkin has seen similar community support.

The Advenire Hotel, St. George, Utah, Sept. 20, 2019 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

River Rock previously offered dine-in and takeout options, but now that they can only do takeout, they have completely changed how they operate. They are now doing pickup out of the windows that face their paved parking lot.

You can call in your orders for the time being, but they are also looking into the possibility of offering delivery as well as implementing an app for ordering in the near future.

“We’ve pretty much restructured our whole business to stay open,” front house manager Tara Flaig said. “What’s been cool about it is that the community has shown a lot of support for it. It’s kind of a hub for them to get together more than a restaurant. A lot of people have been leaving big tips as a thank you and buying gift cards to keep money in the business.”

Another part of the business that has helped during this stressful time has been the ability for customers to buy their coffee beans online and have them shipped directly to their front door. They also have a second drive-through location at the intersection of state Route 9 and state Route 17, which is fully functioning.

Other restaurants such as Viva Chicken and Red Fort in St. George are also offering similar pickup options that include ordering over the phone or online with curbside pickup available.

At Wood Ash Rye, they are offering a similar service. Customers can order food and have it delivered to their car at the entrance to the Advenire hotel.

Wood Ash Rye is also encouraging the community to support local restaurants and businesses on their Instagram page. They spotlight different businesses on their story daily and pool cash tips to buy lunch and dinner for workers from a different local business.

They are also handing out 10% off coupons with every to-go order that can be used on another meal purchase or a reservation at the Advenire hotel. The coupon will be valid for one year.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!