East Lansing Neighbors Are Crowdsourcing Take-Out/Delivery Info to Help Restaurants

In an effort to connect local restaurants needing business with people looking for something good to eat, people in East Lansing are now crowdsourcing information about which restaurants are still producing meals.

Governor Whitmer has ordered the temporary suspension of all in-person dining at restaurants, but because the coronavirus is unlikely to spread through food, take-out and delivery are still options.

East Lansing resident Alyson Lokken Green has set up a spreadsheet, which you can easily consult and also help populate. Just click here. It includes handy information like website links and specials being offered.

Last Friday, we called what my three-year-old daughter has named “the pizza taxi.”

My husband and I are now working from home while our daughter is out of nursery school for at least three weeks. As ELi’s Associate Publisher, I am trying to entertain our kid while almost nonstop fielding calls and emails from members of the ELi team.

When dinner time hit on Friday, my husband and I were beyond exhausted. We had stocked up on food earlier in the week but the emotional turmoil of the day left us bleary-eyed and feeling incapable of even starting to throw a meal together.

But then I remembered a Pizza House ad offering “contactless” delivery along with a 15%-off coupon. Perfect: Friday night is usually pizza night for our family anyway. Our daughter loves any kind of cheese pizza, and Pizza House’s extra cheesiness hits the spot for her.

My husband and I ordered our usual of chicken nachos for him and a cheese quesadilla for me. If you have been to Pizza House, you know their menu is expansive.

Arranging contactless delivery was very simple. When the food was delivered, the delivery person just called my husband’s cell phone and we were ready to go.

I ended up getting a chicken quesadilla although I ordered a cheese one. But I decided the extra protein was probably worth it. And my kid and I enjoyed pizza for lunch the next day.

Having this little bit of normal in our lives is a welcome constant while everything else can feel out of control. And it feels good to put some money into the local economy just when it needs it most.

REMINDER: The City of East Lansing is under a State of Emergency and you are encouraged to practice social distancing. ELi has a special section dedicated to our reporting on COVID-19 for East Lansing. See it here and sign up for ELi’s mailer to stay informed.