FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – Restaurants and bars statewide are adapting to new ways of serving following Governor McMaster’s executive order Tuesday.
The governor mandated- among other things- that all restaurants and bars temporarily cease dine-in service.
He encouraged them though use alternative service methods.
“Chelsea here can take your order,” Ranny Starnes demonstrated. She’s the manager at Dulce Vida Cafe. “You don’t have to come inside.”
The cafe was selling its assortments of coffee and pastries using tactics like picking up, taking out and using a back window the restaurant hadn’t used until now.
“We were ready to adapt and make things happen for our customers,” Starnes said.
Many restaurants in downtown Florence used curbside pick-up locations to get food to diners.
The city set up some locations downtown where drivers can stop to get food. Here’s a list of where they are:
- 100 block S. Dargan: parking spaces in front of Flow Town Yoga (serving Wholly Smokin’, Leaf Lounge, BirdsNest Eats + Ales, Dolce Vita, and Thai House)
- 100 block N. Dargan will utilize the loading zone in front of Local Motive (serving Jazz on Dargan, The Loft Downtown Bar + Grill, Local Motive, Edible Arrangements, and Town Hall)
- 100 block of W. Evans will utilize the loading zone in front of Hotel Florence (Victors, El Agave, and retailers)
- 100 block of S. Irby will utilize the sidewalk area adjacent to King Jefe (Soule Café and King Jefe)
- Top Hat Special Teas is utilizing their patio area in front of their restaurant for pick-up.
Several restaurants approached the city about blocking off specific spaces for curbside dining and the city made it happen.
The city got approval and worked with a local print shop to rush order the signs.
“I think it’s a wonderful service,” Wholly Smokin’ Downtown owner Jackie Travis said. “People are still going to want to eat out. People still work and need to pick up food. And this is for their safety and convenience.”
Travis said the new ways of delivering her store’s food seemed to be going well on day one of the mandated changes.
“We have had a lot of call-ins,” Travis said. “People coming, picking up. Deliveries. It’s going okay right now. And you know we’re all going to have to adapt. Wholly Smokin’ is adapting just like everybody else. And we’re all going to do our part to get through this together.”
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