Curbside Dining in OCNJ – the Ocean City Magazine guide
Eating out looks a wee bit different these days… but supporting restaurants and supporting yourself by not having to cook one or two nights is still the same.
Every restaurant is different, but every restaurant is finding their own way to adjust to the new regulations in place to decrease the spread of Covid. With safety (and a full belly) in mind, we made a guide to follow when you order food for pickup.
- Don’t forget your mask!
Consider your mask to be an essential when you go out. Phone, wallet, keys … and mask. If you are going inside a building, or even ordering at a window on the boardwalk, a store cannot serve you if you aren’t wearing a mask. The action of wearing a mask shows respect for the health of the employees and the other customers, so leave one in your car just in case.
- Park accordingly
At many restaurants, curbside pickup does not always mean that the employees will bring the food directly from their door to your car’s. If the restaurant has a parking lot, park as you typically would in a spot. Enter the building with your mask if you are comfortable, or call ahead and ask them to bring the meal to your car.
- Don’t feel the pressure to go inside or ask for some help
Ocean City’s businesses have been preparing throughout the quarantine to make sure that they are ready for summer, even if that preparation does look different than last summer. Restaurants want to serve you to the best of their ability, and they want to make sure that you are comfortable. If you aren’t ready to go inside yet, give them a call and ask them to come out. They’d be happy to take your dinner straight to your car.
- Call ahead
When you don’t feel like standing around waiting for your pizza, hoagies, or bagel sandwiches in the July heat, call your order in ahead of time. Consider this to be like doing your waiting at home, rather than outside the restaurant. “We like to give our customers a time to come for a reason,” explains Janet and Tony Galante from Piccini on West Ave. If the restaurant tells you that your food will be ready at 6pm, come as close to 6pm as possible. Following this guideline keeps the flow of customers moving faster, and it keeps people at a distance from each other when they aren’t waiting around the restaurant in a group.
- “If you work with us, it’s going to be better for everyone.”
Yianni Siganos from Yianni’s Cafe on Asbury says “We appreciate the customers, but the employees are just people like them. They can get sick, too.” Help out your restaurant staff to the best of your ability. Show respect for their health by wearing your mask, show kindness to them by thanking them. Following the guidelines put in place by the restaurant and respecting their takeout system goes a long way for making the curbside experience as smooth as possible.
