By Jenni Bergal | Stateline
When North Carolina officials ordered restaurants to shut down indoor dining in March because of COVID-19, Justin Gallus feared the worst.
The co-owner of Plates Neighborhood Kitchen, a hip Southern fusion restaurant in downtown Raleigh, relied on customers eating inside or on the large outdoor patio. The restaurant never did pickup or takeout before, Gallus said, but that ended up being the only way the business could stay afloat.
The owners scrambled to set up online ordering and made changes to the menu. And they got help from the city of Raleigh, which set up temporary curbside pickup zones so customers could drive up and get their meals without having to leave the car.
