Chelsea Self / Post Independent
Coloradans love dining out.
For the next 30 days, though, breaking bread at eateries across the state has been put on hold in an effort to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19.
On Monday, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a public health order, which forced restaurants, bars, theaters, gyms and casinos to close, with a few exceptions.
Those establishments may still sell food and beverages but must do so by utilizing either “delivery service, window service, walk-up service, drive-through service or drive-up service” according to the public health order that went into effect Tuesday morning.
Sarah Martinez, who helps run her family’s restaurant — Spanglish Mexican American Kitchen — in Glenwood Springs said the transition from sit-down service to only carryout and delivery was difficult but manageable.
“This great community is willing to support and help each other and that makes me feel really good,” Martinez said. “We will make it through.”
Spanglish Mexican American Kitchen, like many other Glenwood eateries, has partnered with KraveKar to offer delivery.
Courtney Madden, who launched KraveKar last year, said the local food delivery service offers a “no contact delivery” option.
“We put (deliveries) on someone’s porch or we can put it wherever they ask us to put it,” Madden said. “Then we can call and say the food is there.”
Similar to the services provided by DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub in larger cities, KraveKar offers delivery to the Glenwood Springs area.
KraveKar makes deliveries daily between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Customers can also place orders in advance on kravekar.com or through the KraveKar app.
“Every month we go up 20 or 30 orders. This month we went up about 65 orders,” Madden said.
Tuesday, the Pour House in Carbondale was still busy preparing corned beef and cabbage to-go orders for St. Patrick’s Day.
“We’ve sold a few, maybe about 30,” bartender Tim O’Rourke said around 3:30 p.m. as word was just getting around as to which restaurants were offering takeout.
Across the street, Batch, the Roaring Fork Beer Co.’s tap house, was selling growlers of beer out the front door.
“Because we don’t serve food, and only have beer, luckily we’re able to do this,” Owner Aly Sanguily said, adding how other brewers and distillers would have the same option.
“Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to do anything,” Sanguily said.
At Miner’s Claim in Silt, owner Christian Harra pledged to include a roll of toilet paper in each of the restaurant’s to-go orders, as supplies last.
“I ordered five cases of toilet paper, which is about 500 rolls,” Harra said. “Angel Soft.”
Harra’s original intent was to give rolls to dine-in customers on St. Patrick’s Day.
However, with dine-in service no longer on the table, Harra will place a roll in each to-go order instead.
According to Harra, Miner’s Claim did over 50 to-go orders on Monday night.
“My staff is amazing. I’ve got employees here that have been with me 17 years,” Harra said. “We’re like a big family and we’re all pulling together.”
Glenwood Springs Post Independent Senior Reporter John Stroud contributed to this report.