Then again, restaurateurs had no choice.
When the pandemic first hit in mid-March of last year, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker mandated restaurants suspend dine-in service. It stayed that way for most of the spring. Even when indoor dining was authorized again, it was at limited capacity.
In late October and early November, when COVID-19 cases began to spike, indoor dining again was prohibited. It resumed in late January, with limitations.
Some restaurants closed entirely during those periods, either temporarily or for good. Others remained open but offered to-go service, by carryout or curbside pickup.
To-go orders presented a challenge for restaurants that had little or no carryout infrastructure in place when the pandemic began.