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By Samson Weinberg

With the rate of COVID-19 infections on the rise in Rochester, everyone is on high alert. Folks have been encouraged to practice social isolation in order to stem the risk of infection. Now that the first death from COVID-19 in Monroe County has been confirmed, it makes sense that people are feeling uneasy.

After experiencing symptoms matching those of COVID-19, the RGH employee was admitted to the hospital where he worked. While asbestos is the number one work-related cause of death, it makes sense that health care workers would be at particular risk for contracting the virus. The worker in question also had a few underlying health issues, including liver disease and hypertension.

The other people who are at-risk? Those who work at restaurants and bars.

As of Monday, March 16, New York — and a few other states — have officially ordered bars and restaurants to stop serving patrons in their dining rooms.

This is bad news for many small businesses in Rochester. Though countless people have followed government directions and have taken shelter in their homes as a result, owners of local restaurants and bars don’t have the luxury of staying home. After all, their livelihood depends on their business’ success. It’s likely that their bills won’t stop coming and heating the restaurant at the end of winter makes up 42% of the average home’s utility bill already. If a business is already floundering, then such a pandemic like this can be the final straw in a restaurant’s final closing.

Some Rochester-area restaurants are able to afford a temporary pause while others are finding ways to stay afloat: namely, by relying on take-out and delivery options.

This way of doing business helps ensure that contact is as limited as possible. If you’re too tired to go to Wegmans and sift through the remnants of their supplies, there are still plenty of Rochester-area restaurants that are willing to supply you with great food.

Here are some of the Rochester restaurants you can count on for the next couple of weeks:

Cafes

If you can’t resist a delicious cup of coffee, these cafes have got your back.

The Genesee Bakery will be open from 7:30am to 6pm weekdays and 9am to 12pm on Saturdays. They are offering takeout options and curbside delivery for their lunch menu, breads, and pastries.

Arnett Cafe is offering takeout options. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, they will be open from 8am to 2pm. On Friday and Saturday, you can see them from 8am to 6pm.

Founders Cafe will be open from 7am to 5pm throughout the week. Their Saturday hours are from 9am to 3pm. They also have options on GrubHub and Uber Eats if that works better for you.

Roam Cafe is sticking to the hours of 11:30am to 9pm daily. They’re even offering a discount on delivery services if your order is over $20.

Magnolia’s will operate between 11am through 7pm every day of the week but Sunday. On Sundays, they will be open until 4pm.

Even though Jine’s is more of a diner than a cafe, you can expect this Rochester staple to operate every day from 8am to 8pm.

Latin cuisine:

You don’t have to speak Spanish to indulge in these Rochester favorites. Juan and Marias Empanada Stop will be open from 9am to 2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 7am to 2pm on Saturdays.

Neno’s Mexican Gourmet will be open every day from 11am to 7pm at its new location on 642 Monroe Avenue. Their full menu will be available for takeout, delivery, and curbside pickup.

Old Pueblo Grill is expected to be open from 11am to 7pm every day but Sunday. They ask that only credit cards are used to order in advance and that customers call when they arrive.

John’s Tex Mex will be open from 11:30am to 10pm every day but Sunday. They will also be offering beer to-go.

Savory dinners

If you’re looking for something to fill you up, this list makes for the perfect dinner:

Drifters Bar & Restaurant will be open from 4 to 8pm daily with GrubHub and Uber Eats backing up their takeout options.

Merchants Wood Fired Pizza & Bistro will have the same hours as Drifter’s but they’re only open Tuesday through Saturday.

Restaurant Good Luck is following suit but will only be open from Wednesday through Saturday. They’re sporting a limited menu, but they also have alcohol and ice cream options available for takeout.

The Saucey Chef will be serving takeout meals from 12:30pm through 8:30pm between Wednesday and Friday. If you’re itching for a bite on the weekend, they’re open from 3 to 8:30pm on Saturdays. They ask that you pay ahead of time online to further limit interactions between workers and customers.

With Wegmans already cutting down on available hours, ordering out doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Just be sure to keep the regular rules of the road in mind during this time of panic. After all, the most dangerous times for motorcyclists to drive are between 3 and 6pm, but a single distraction could result in an injury for anyone. Times are stressful, but keeping a cool head and supporting your local businesses are the best ways to make it through this period of social isolation.

Tags: business, dinner, restaurant, restaurants, small business, takeout

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 18th, 2020 at 2:43 pm and is filed under Rochester News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.