Photo by Sarah Oulman. Small businesses, like Tea Largo Beverage Co., are offering drive-up and delivery options to better accommodate customers during this time.

Sarah Oulman

Curbside pickup and delivery options are appearing across Lakeland in an effort to encourage customers to support local restaurants and businesses while adhering to new COVID-19 mandates.

Although Floridians are under a safer-at-home order, Lakeland’s restaurants are permitted to  remain open at this time, and many are offering curbside, take-out or delivery orders as gatherings at the businesses have been prohibited. As of April 3, in-restaurant alcohol consumption and on-premises food have been suspended in Florida. 

Julie Townsend, the executive director of Lakeland Downtown Development Authority, told The Ledger that the organization has been working to create temporary 15-minute parking spots to accommodate the growing need for pickup and delivery orders from Lakeland’s downtown businesses. Townsend explained that these additional parking spaces should serve to encourage customers to continue to shop locally and enable them to practice social distancing.

“We’re trying to make it as easy as possible for our downtown businesses to get business and have convenient parking,” Townsend said. “That’s not always the case in an urban downtown.”

Local restaurant owners are having to quickly adapt during these uncertain times to keep their doors open and workers paid. Downtown Lakeland is well-known for its small businesses and restaurants, and many are asking for support from the community. Patrons are also encouraged to buy gift certificates and gift cards to help stimulate business. 

While many of Lakeland’s businesses had initially announced they would be offering additional delivery and takeout options, several restaurants have decided to close their doors indefinitely. 

Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi had previously posted on social media that they would be including these new options to better serve their customers. However, they recently announced that they will be closing their doors for the time being. 

“Tsunami has decided to close for a couple of weeks to maintain the safety of our staff,” the restaurant wrote in a Facebook post. “We hope to reopen with normal business hours as soon as [it is] possible … to do so.”

There are many local restaurants that are continuing to serve customers amid the safer-at-home order and are widening their takeout options to better serve the community. Abuelo’s Lakeland, Black & Brew and Cob & Pen are just a handful of restaurants in Lakeland that will remain open to serve customers using additional takeout and delivery options. 

Below is a list of restaurants in Lakeland that are remaining open for takeout and delivery options:

-Abuelo’s Lakeland

-Anthony’s Health Hut & Restaurant

-bd’s Mongolian Grill

-Beef ‘O’ Brady’s

-Black & Brew

-Born & Bread Bakehouse

-Bonefish Grill

-BubbaQue’s BBQ North and South Lakeland locations

-Burger 21

-Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen

-Chop Shop

-Café Zuppina

-Charlie’s Mini Donuts & Coffee

-Cob & Pen

-Concord Coffee

-Craft + Kitchen

-Curry Mango Indian Restaurant

-Dairy Queen

-Duke’s Brewhouse

-Dunkin’

-Federal Bar

-Ford’s Garage

-Fred’s Market

-Frescos

-Fuzzy’s Taco Shop

-Glory Days Grill

-Grillsmith

-Good Thyme

Hillcrest Coffee

-Honeycomb Bread Bakers

-HTeaO

-IHOP

-Isle of Capri

-J. Burns Pizza

-Jimbo’s Pit Bar B-Q

-La Imperial Bakery

-Longhorn Steakhouse

-Marco’s Pizza

-Mellow Mushroom

-Mitchell’s Coffee House

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-Ovation Bistro

-Palace Pizza

-Scarpa’s Italian

-Tapatio’s Restaurante Mexicano

-Tea Largo

-The Joinery

-The Terrace Grille

For a complete list of restaurants currently serving the public, visit http://blog.lakelandchamber.com/2020/03/chamber-restaurants-takeout-delivery-options/ 

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