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The Covid-19 pandemic has caused difficulties for many service industries, including the food and beverage industry. In response, many restaurants and eateries have implemented new policies to continue operating. Michelin-starred restaurants are also beginning to adapt to the circumstances.
Claro is one of Brooklyn's most renowned Michelin-starred restaurants, consistently ranking among New York's best restaurants for many years, as chosen by the New York Times.
There's an "unbreakable" rule here: no home delivery service. The chefs believe that preparing takeout meals is significantly more time-consuming than serving in the restaurant, and it's also difficult to guarantee that the food quality won't change during transportation. However, recently, due to the complicated Covid-19 situation in the US, the restaurant has been forced to change its business model.
TJ Steele, the restaurant owner, revealed that he had repeatedly turned down offers of partnership from online delivery services, but starting on March 17th, the restaurant began accepting online orders to stay afloat during this difficult time.
TJ Steele also stated that the restaurant has modified some dishes to better suit takeout service. For example, the restaurant has switched to serving dishes made with organic chicken, replacing the tuna dishes on the previous menu, as tuna is difficult to preserve its flavor when cooled.
A meal at Claro restaurant before the pandemic.
Instead of meticulously preparing visually appealing, internationally-standard dishes, Steele now has to get used to witnessing delivery drivers mispacking meals. He also has to learn how to wrap food in foil to prevent spillage, making it easier for customers to reheat at home before enjoying their meal.
Claro serves dishes made with organic chicken as an alternative to dishes made with tuna.
Turkey tinga quesadillas – a popular Mexican street food – are served in takeout boxes.
The food is packaged in foil to prevent spillage from the delivery box, making it easy for customers to reheat it at home before enjoying.
Every customer is served unlimited mezcal when dining at Claro. Therefore, in addition to the main meal, when delivering orders, they must include fries, salsa, and soup, along with a chilled glass of mezcal for the customer.
Many people commented that the food quality remained unchanged, but the presentation wasn't as appealing as when dining in the restaurant due to limitations of the delivery service. However, this didn't bother customers; everyone understood.
A representative from Claro shared that they never thought a day like this would come. Given the prolonged situation, they will add some supplementary services if necessary and hope to reopen to welcome customers soon.
