Stu News Laguna: The Best of Laguna Beach by Diane Armitage

Volume 12, Issue 103 | December 25, 2020

Laguna restaurants shift once again to takeout only

By Diane Armitage

Recent stay-at-home orders went into effect on Sunday evening at 10 p.m. It’s the first large-scale shutdown since our early spring months and is expected to last at least three weeks. 

Along with sweeping closure changes, all restaurants are to cease outdoor dining and move, once again, to takeout/to-go service only. As of Sunday night, every Laguna Beach restaurant is dialed back to takeout only

Restaurants everywhere – including those in Laguna Beach – certainly flinched at the news. 

Typically in Laguna Beach, the month of December is chock-full of group dining events and happy reunions of families and friends. During our sleepier winter months (October through mid-March), December is that redeeming month that helps restaurants get ahead of their billing and sock-in again for the first quarter’s quieter days.

With no group dining or holiday events on the books, the added closure of outdoor dining is disappointing to all and worrisome to many. 

This is why it’s all the more important for locals and Laguna fans to support the restaurants they love with takeout and to-go orders. Fortunately, our Laguna restaurateurs have this takeout thing down to a science. 

“When we first opened up for dining this summer, it was crazy because we had orders coming in from everywhere,” said Reunion Kitchen’s Scott McIntosh. 

“People were sitting inside, sitting outside, driving up for curbside delivery, calling in for takeout, and then you’d have those people or their delivery drivers popping in randomly to pick up their food and drinks. It was nuts, particularly for the kitchen. But, once we got a handle on it, I kind of wondered why we hadn’t been doing more of this takeout program all along,” he added. 

To every season, churn, churn, churn

Last spring, even after restaurants were allowed to start takeout programs, some Laguna restaurants took their time getting mobilized. This time around, they were on it like white on rice. As I started texting and DMing my restaurateurs, they were pinging back almost immediately with their new plans. 

Over the next few days, many Laguna restaurants will continue to offer their entire menu for takeout while they work on menus that are more applicable to the season and family meals. Others simply turned a page, loaded a new menu to their website, and were off and running early this morning. 

Wild Taco – One of our newest entries before the original shut-down, Wild Taco Laguna Beach is offering a revamped “family-friendly” takeout option. Grab “Family Fiesta Packs” for entire meals for two or four people. It makes for a great take-home taco kit. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and until 8 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.

To read more visit: https://www.stunewslaguna.com/index.php/2-uncategorised/16241-laguna-restaurants-shift-once-again-120820