Residents of the Seven Oaks/Evanswood neighborhood this week crowd sourced a list of local restaurants still serving customers during the COVID-19 emergency.
The Google Docs spreadsheet is online for reference and open to edits and additions from others, who have since expanded the original list sent to the Source with a request to post.
The outlets are offering options including take out, curbside pick and, often, delivery services.
In addition, the county’s Board of License Commissioners this week passed “a resolution to allow all restaurants with a current on-premise Montgomery County alcohol license to sell sealed containers of beer and wine for off-premise consumption along with a takeout or delivered meal.”
The order is temporary and will expire once the governor lifts his March 16 order to close all restaurants and bars, with the exception of take out and delivery. State law prohibits delivery of alcohol by third parties such as Uber Eats or Grub Hub.
One of the participants in the SOECA effort, Michael Bond, wrote in a message to the Source, “Obviously this situation is unique and potentially ruinous for the small businesses that have taken the initiative to invest in making downtown Silver Spring the dynamic place that it has become.
“If we can change from Budweiser to Astrolab, from Amazon to Loyalty and from Starbucks to Bump ‘N Grind, we’ll give our small businesses the opportunity to weather this storm, and maybe change our own spending habits to keep more of our money in the community,” he added.
While the Google Doc includes some Takoma Park restaurants, Main Street Takoma compiled a more comprehensive listof options, including listing the outlets that are closed.
There are also some currently operating non-restaurant businesses listed as well.
The spreadsheet is not a complete list and residents can add any additional information, as it is available.
In addition, in a fluid situation, businesses are modifying operating hours and customers should check to verify in advance that a business is open. For example, Republic in Takoma Park announced that it would be serving through the weekend, but close after Sunday, March 22.
Image from Wikimedia Commons licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.