With staying home and refraining from going out becoming the new normal for Americans, delivering food has also become the common practice of restaurants still open amidst the current pandemic.

So, just as these establishments are observing the proper precaution to keep their operations and bring people takeout, diners should also be aware of certain things before ordering.

The following is the right way to order food delivery during the coronavirus crisis.

No Contact Delivery

Due to the highly contagious nature of the novel coronavirus caused by COVID-19, deliveries are now done without physical contact between the delivery person and the food receiver. Even fine-dining restaurant owners like Mark Canlis have resorted to this safety precaution and now simply instructs personnel to leave orders on the customer’s doorstep.

Meanwhile, South Carolina restaurant operators Fida and Robert Ghanem consider this new practice non-negotiable. They also reiterated how doing it benefits both restaurant employees as well as their patrons.

Ditch the Apps

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Ordering direct instead of through third-party services would also mean savings for the diner

A lot of consumers have been accustomed to using third-party food delivery platforms like Uber Eats and DoorDash. While these services proved to be convenient before the coronavirus lockdowns, diners may want to opt out of ordering through them for now.

This is because these apps often take a commission fee from restaurants. These establishments, especially independently-owned ones, have already taken on massive losses due to the pandemic.

Another downside of using these apps to order during this time is that restaurants lose their tips.

The More The Better

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Consider availing family meals or packages instead of just single orders

Those craving food from their favorite dining place may also want to only have food delivered if they’re ordering a large quantity of it. Some restaurants have actually imposed minimum order guidelines to ensure that their operations remain profitable considering the risk they’re taking.

Diners should know that it costs establishments more manpower and resources to fulfill each order.

The Potential New Norm

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Food like sushi, as they tend to contain raw ingredients, may not be available for deliveries

Lastly, people at home should prepare themselves for the possibility of saying goodbye to some of their favorite menu items. The current state of things simply means that restaurants needed to cut down their menu items.

For example, restaurant owner Eric Chan has advised a fellow businessman, who owns a sushi place, to make the switch from serving cold food to hot dishes. He also suggested that the struggling business introduce a lunchbox menu item composed of a couple of hot serve dishes.