Multitudes of restaurants are open for takeout, curbside pickup, and delivery. But here’s just one more way to find Phoenix bars and restaurants offering takeaway food, cocktails, wine, and beer. Coast App, a messaging app based in San Francisco, recently created Takeout COVID — a site listing and linking to local restaurants as a way to help eateries get more exposure.
Takeout COVID first launched on March 23 in the Bay Area, then tried to expand to as many cities as quickly as possible. “But we're only a small team of six people,” says Warren Wu, head of growth at Coast. Eventually, Takeout COVID created a webpage dedicated to Phoenix restaurants.
“We started getting a lot of requests from people visiting Takeout COVID to launch this in Phoenix,” Wu says. “We officially launched on April 13 with the help of a few local volunteers that provided us with their list of open restaurants that they curated."
The website offers an interactive map of restaurants, creating additional ways for eateries to share that they're open for takeout and delivery, aside from media listings like this one and social media posts. “A lot of restaurants that we've talked to didn't place a huge emphasis on takeout and delivery, and their only means of letting customers know they're open is through their social media channels,” Wu says.
Less than a month in, Takeout COVID Phoenix lists close to 1,000 restaurants, including Little Miss BBQ, Cider Corps Pizza, Chula Seafood, Pita Jungle, Hula’s Modern Tiki, Peoria Artisan Brewery, and more.
The first 100 restaurants (approximately) were listed after Takeout COVID volunteers actually called each restaurant to ask owners and managers if they wanted to be included. Now, area restaurants are able to sign up directly on the website.
But don’t get it twisted, Takeout COVID Phoenix is not where you order food for pickup or delivery. Users (i.e. you) open the interactive map of Phoenix restaurants and bars and use filters to find spots offering food or beer or meal kits. A delivery filter is also included.
From there, users are connected with the restaurant's check-out page of choice. For instance, click on Chula Seafood or Pane Bianco Van Buren, you’ll be sent to that restaurant’s Grubhub page. Click on Pomo Pizzeria and you’ll be taken to its MobileBytes page. Click on Southern Rail or Ranch House Grille or Seamus McCaffrey's Irish Pub and Restaurant, and you’re at the website with all the information you need to order.
“All we're trying to do is to create a platform where people can find open restaurants selling wine, cocktails, beer, and food,” Wu says. “Our only mission is to help restaurants and bars get more customers.”