Coping Amid Coronavirus: Stay Home And Order Groceries, Takeout

TAMPA BAY, FL — With new restrictions on Tampa Bay eateries due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus, officials are urging residents to stay at home and support local restaurants by ordering takeout or getting food delivered.

On Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that all bars, breweries and other establishments that make 50 percent of their revenue from the sale of alcohol must close for 30 days.

At the same time, Tampa and Hillsborough County officials have mandated that all businesses that sell food and drinks must close by 10 p.m.

To help offset the economic toll on local eateries, residents are being urged to order delivery or takeout from restaurants.

For restaurants that don't offer their own delivery services, Tampa Bay residents can choose from a number of options including Uber Eats, Doordash, GrubHub, Postmates, Eat Street and Bite Squad.

Delivery fees range from free to $4.99.

But some companies are waiving their fees during the new coronavirus outbreak, including Uber Eats.

“We know the coming weeks will be challenging ones for many small business owners, and we want to help restaurants focus on food, not finances,” said Janelle Sallenave, head of Uber Eats for the United States and Canada

Additionally, GrubHub announced that it is suspending commission fees of up to $100 million from independent restaurants.

And Bite Squad is offering free delivery with the promotional code INSIDE.

For those who prefer cooking at home, Target, Walmart and Aldi offer curbside services. Customers can order online and get their groceries at the designated pickup area.

Instacart offers the delivery of groceries and other items from 12 Tampa Bay stores including Sprouts, Aldi, The Fresh Market, Publix and CVS Pharmacy for $7.99 for one-hour delivery or $5.99 for two-hour or more delivery. Additionally, it just rolled out a “Leave at My Door Delivery” feature, which gives customers the flexibility to have their groceries delivered without having to come to the door or be at home.

In addition to offering its own Same-Day Delivery service for a $98 a year subscription, Walmart also uses NextDay delivery, which is free on eligible orders of $35 or more, and Delivery Unlimited, available for a subscription of $12.95 a month.

Target uses the one-day delivery service Shipt, which costs $99 per year for a subscription.