Be a good American and order out on Tuesday

While Americans are being urged to stay in, they’re now also being urged to order in.

A coalition of national and local restaurants are promoting The Great American Takeout, an effort to support the restaurant and hospitality industry during the COVID-19 quarantine. The lockdown has restricted all in-restaurant dining and forced restaurants to offer only takeout and delivery to stay afloat.

National restaurants like The Habit Burger Grill, Panera Bread, Noodles & Company, Veggie Grill, El Torito, Lemonade, Tocaya Organica and more have banded together to promote the campaign, which encourages people to order at least one takeout or delivery meal on Tuesday, March 24, in order to support the struggling restaurant industry.

Those who participate are also being asked to share photos of their meal on social media and tagging #TheGreatAmericanTakeout.

The restaurant industry employs some 15 million Americans and has been hit hard by Governor Gavin Newsom’s March 16 suspension of all dine-in meals in order to contain the spread of coronavirus.

“This is no longer about the survival of individual restaurants,” said Russ Bendel, CEO of The Habit Burger Grill. “It’s about the future of our industry. And time has run out. Together, we must act to support each other and our communities in unprecedented ways.”

Following The Great American Takeout campaign, Americans are being encouraged to regularly order takeout and delivery to support the restaurant industry for the foreseeable future. Find a list of San Diego restaurants offering takeout and delivery here.