For Tim Ragan, owner of the Blue Moon bar and restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, Del., the adjustment to the pandemic economy came immediately.
“As soon as we were closed for dine-in, we started doing carryout the next day,” said Ragan. However, he noted that “it has been a challenge going from a white tablecloth restaurant to putting everything in a brown bag.”
Part of the Blue Moon’s evolution can be seen in its menu.
“We realized early on that people were looking for more value items. They weren’t necessarily looking for a duck breast or a veal chop. Some of the traditional things are on there, but we’ve also added burgers, crab cake sandwiches, things like that. The menu has definitely evolved to be more carryout friendly because some things just don’t travel well. We try to package our food so that it will be something you’ll want to eat when it gets home,” said Ragan.