As of Monday, March 30, a handful of New Orleans’s best-known restaurants — including world-famous Commander’s Palace and those in the Donald Link restaurant group portfolio — have announced they’re shifting operations once again, ceasing takeout and delivery services as the number of COVID-19 cases in the city continues to increase.
21 days after the first New Orleans-area case of the novel coronavirus was announced, the city is now considered a hot spot, with Gov. John Bel Edwards saying over the weekend that this is the “critical week” in which New Orleans hospitals are projected to be overwhelmed by the number of patients in need of treatment.
In response to the Governor’s statements on Sunday, owner of longtime French Quarter seafood destination GW Fins Gary Wollerman announced a temporary closure, saying he felt it was “the only socially responsible course of action.” Wollerman added he and his team would reevaluate at the end of two weeks.
On Friday, March 27, a message on Commander’s Palace’s website also announced a two-week pause “to give our team time to take a breath,” and that owners will “reassess daily.” The restaurant’s famous turtle soup will be available at Rouses grocery store, and it’s preparing to sell it online at Goldbelly.com.
Friday was the last day of curbside pickup and delivery for the beloved Donald Link restaurants as well. Peche, Herbsaint, Cochon and Cochon Butcher, La Boulangerie, and the new Gianna have suspended the to-go and delivery services offered since the shutdown of restaurant dining rooms. Owners Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski said in a statement posted on Saturday that the decision was made out of concern for the health and safety of “existing” team members and in an effort to help contain the spread of the virus.
Now, the Link team has pivoted to feeding New Orleans’s restaurant workers for the moment, with help from Maker’s Mark and the LEE Initiative. Meals are being distributed curbside at Cochon (930 Tchoupitoulas Street) from 1 to 3 p.m. today, March 30, to those with a state ID and a recent paycheck stub as proof of restaurant employment.
Back in the kitchen, preparing meals to feed NOLA restaurant workers affected by the pandemic, in partnership with Maker...
Posted by Gianna Restaurant on Monday, March 30, 2020
Follow the Link group’s meal distribution for restaurant workers here, and for other local efforts, funds, and initiatives intended to support New Orleans’s restaurants and service industry, see Eater’s running list here.
Do you know of a local fund or initiative to support New Orleans’s service industry? Heard of a restaurant closing permanently due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic? Let us know.
- Detroit, New Orleans and Chicago are new hot spots as coronavirus spreads [TODAY]
- Louisiana Coronavirus Updates: 185 dead, 4,000 cases after 3 weeks with COVID-19 [WWLTV]
- A Running List of Funds and Support Initiatives for New Orleans’s Service Industry [ENOLA]
- How Coronavirus Is Impacting the New Orleans Restaurant World [ENOLA]