Coronavirus: Guide To Open Lake Norman Restaurants, Delivery

CORNELIUS, NC — Days after all North Carolina restaurants and bars were ordered to close down all dine-in service in a bid to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, eateries throughout the state are adjusting their hours and expanding delivery and curbside service options in order to accommodate customers.

Gov. Roy Cooper's executive order, announced Tuesday, closed down all dine-in service as of 5 p.m. March 17, and stipulated that restaurant customers could still use takeout and delivery options. The move comes as the daily count of positive cases of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, continue to grow in North Carolina.

As of Thursday morning, there were at least 97 presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina, state health officials said.

While necessary to help curb the spread of the virus, the new rule is expected to cause pain for some North Carolina workers. The new restaurant rule results in thousands of people suddenly finding themselves unemployed in the state's $21 billion restaurant industry that employs more than 500,000, the Charlotte Observer reported.

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Local restaurants are adjusting.

Katy and Joe Kindred, owners of Kindred in Davidson, for example, are joining employees in making delivery runs of orders from a special menu. The $5 delivery fee and all tips are going directly to hourly employees who are impacted by the closure.

“We are broken-hearted to temporarily close our doors, but it is necessary for the safety and well-being of our team and our guests,” Kindred said on its Facebook page. “That said we are shifting gears (literally) to DELIVERY and curbside pickup. We are trying to stay upbeat through this, but we realize the seriousness of this and feel we can take care of our team and our loyal guests by offering to bring Kindred to the people!”

Many other local restaurants, such as Metro Diner, Flatiron Kitchen and Taphouse, Mestizo are following suit and also offering curb-side delivery service.

SEE ALSO: Coronavirus Restaurant Closure Order Prompts Menu Price Cuts

“We all know local businesses are part of what make this community so unique,” Davidson mayor, Rusty Knox, said in a Facebook message Thursday. “Many of our local businesses have gone out of their way to come up with creative solutions to continue to serve our town and keep their employees working. Buy gift cards, tip generously, get take out or take advantage of the new curbside or delivery options many restaurants are using! It’s money well-spent -- I promise you.”

Around Lake Norman, 125 out of 157 restaurants and 12 out of 16 breweries remain open, according to Visit Lake Norman.

“Many of the restaurants are even offering personal delivery to residents, in addition to [third] party delivery services like UberEats, DoorDash, Postmates, etc.,” Visit Lake Norman said in a statement Thursday. “Additionally, many restaurants are offering discounts of up to 15 percent off for curbside take-out and some are even offering wholesale items for purchase like eggs.”

Here is a list of restaurants in Cornelius, Davidson and Huntersville now offering take-out, and curbside and delivery service, according to Visit Lake Norman.

Do you know of a local restaurant or business not listed here? Tell us about it in the comment section.

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