#KeepBooneHealthy Takeout Tuesday Tops 11,000 Meals Distributed
A total of 31 local restaurants and food distribution sites served a reported 11,007 meals during the fifth #KeepBooneHealthy Takeout Tuesday, held on April 28th. This marks the second single-day tally of over 10,000 meals distributed and marks an increase of 714 meals over the previous week. Including the Takeout Tuesdays on March 31st, April 7th, April 14th, and April 28th a total of 46,471 meals have been distributed by local restaurants and food distribution sites over the last five Tuesdays.
The effort was designed to encourage area residents to support local restaurants and food distribution programs during the COVID-19 crisis, while also complying with the directives listed in the State of North Carolina Stay-At-Home order.
Customers placed orders with local restaurants, utilized curbside, takeout, and delivery options, and enjoyed their meal in the confines of their home. They posted pictures of meals across various social media platforms and tagged posts with the name of the restaurant and the #KeepBooneHealthy hashtag.
This week’s community count was generated from the reporting of total meals served from 30 area restaurants and the Watauga County Schools meal distribution program.
Takeout Tuesday will run weekly through the end of May, which could coincide with a time when area restaurants begin to reopen their dining rooms at the beginning of Phase 2 of the State of North Carolina’s reopening plan, should health trends allow. AppHealthCare has endorsed the Takeout Tuesday effort with the understanding that should a need for further tightening of the Stay-At-Home order become necessary, the promotion may need to be re-evaluated.
“Takeout Tuesday continues to perform at a level beyond our expectations, “said David Jackson, President/CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. “This idea started as a way to keep area restaurants and food distribution programs top of mind among members of our community, and also promote the safe ways people could interact with these businesses and efforts. This sustained support of these businesses and programs has not only helped keep food distribution numbers up throughout the county, but it is also helping bring greater awareness to our local food system. People can see how their support of these local businesses keeps people in jobs and keeps a variety of food in the system, so no one single resource gets overwhelmed. Plus, the boost of morale the efforts of customers have given to those in the restaurants and delivery lines has been extremely positive at a time when we really need this type of interaction.”
In addition to supporting area restaurants and utilizing the Watauga County Schools meal distribution program, customers can purchase meals for Hospitality House. Social distancing guidelines have altered the organization’s ability to prepare meals for individuals and families that are experiencing homelessness.
AppHealthCare and Watauga County staff announced earlier this week planning is underway for the phased reopening of Watauga County, in cooperation with Governor Roy Cooper’s 3-phase plan for the State of North
Carolina. Further information on the plan will be presented to the Watauga County Board of Commissioners at their meeting on May 5th.
“We know that with good progress in the health trends the State and AppHealthCare have communicated, we will be getting closer to seeing restaurants be able to reconsider how they are operating," Jackson said. "While some are considering how they can reopen their dining room, others have been motivated by the response of take-out operations as a way for them to stay somewhat stable as the phasing plan gets to a point where reopening is financially feasible. The greatest gifts our local community has given our restaurateurs is the gift of consistency and loyalty. Participating in programs like Takeout Tuesday, and taking those extra steps, has kept the lights on for many of these small businesses. I know our restaurants cannot wait to have full dining rooms again, so they can personally thank everyone that has helped them through this time. Until we get to that point, they will do their best to make sure Tuesday, and every other day, are as close to the delicious normal we have come to expect from these local providers.”
#KeepBooneHealthy is a community messaging campaign organized by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, with content creation and promotional assistance provided by Destination by Design and the Downtown Boone Development Association. Additional information can be found at www.facebook.com/keepboonehealthy.
For more information about a broad range of available assistance during the COVID-19 crisis, visit www.boonechamber.com/localresponse.
If you have questions, please contact the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce at 828-264-2225 or email david@boonechamber.com.