Orange County and Visit Orlando have declared Tuesday, April 7, 407 Day as an initiative to show local restaurants and their staff support.
Central Florida residents are encouraged to order takeout or delivery from one of the many restaurants still serving food during the shutdown and taking selfies or photos of the food and posting them with the hashtags #407day and #OrlandoToGo.
Not sure what the hashtags have to do with showing support for the restaurants – the important thing is to order some food, pay for it and tip generously.
Also, you don’t need to confine it to April 7. Most of the restaurants that have remained open are holding on by a proverbial thread. Those I’ve talked to say they are not making a profit and are breaking even at best. They struggle to stay open to provide a service to their customers and a paycheck to their workers.
“Our restaurant community is a vital part of who we are as a region,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings in a press release announcing the initiative. “We are all facing challenges because of covid-19, but we must continue to support our local restaurants. I encourage our residents to order takeout or delivery. This gesture can make a difference in helping to lift up our neighbors through this crisis.”
“407 Day is a celebration of Orlando’s incredibly diverse collection of restaurants, and the dedicated people who work there, who need us right now,” said George Aguel, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. “Let’s come together as a community to order from our favorite local places as we encourage our families, friends and neighbors to sit down at Orlando’s virtual dinner table on social media tomorrow.”
You can find a list of restaurants offering takeout, curbside pickup and delivery at this link. visitorlando.com also has a list. You can also read my recent reviews of takeout cuisine here.
