Member-only story
How 5 Toronto Restaurants Are Coping During COVID-19
Curbside pickups and deliveries, dramatic reduction of staff, crowdsourcing, grants and loans — these are some of the challenges that restaurants are dealing with at the moment. As the situation intensifies, restaurants are continuously adapting their business strategies. Everything is about getting through the next 24 hours while all long-term plans are on pause.
As many restaurants are forced to close their doors, others are in survival mode, thinking of how to quickly and creatively offer meals to customers in ways they hadn’t before. From a limited-time bento box created by a high-end kaiseki restaurant in Yorkville to pizza and pasta kits supplied by a go-to spot for Italian on the King West strip, I got in touch with five Toronto restaurants to see how they’re coping.
Oretta
An oversize, 220-seater space serving up authentic Italian fare with modern day classics.
www.oretta.to
Me: How are you adapting?
Salvatore Mele (owner): We’ve changed and re-organized our menu to make it more takeout friendly. There are certain menu items that just don’t travel well. We also decided to subscribe to more takeout platforms in the hope of more exposure. Finally, in order to keep our guests engaged we are doing weekly set menus…
