Those looking to support local restaurants through this tough time now have another option beyond takeout and delivery: browsing the refrigerator case at H-E-B.
The San Antonio-based grocer launched a pilot program to get restaurant-prepared meals onto its stores during the COVID-19 crisis, MySanAntonio.com reports.
Jewish deli Max & Louie’s New York Diner already has meals available in the grocer's cases, from matzo ball soup to corned beef sandwiches. Coming soon are grab-and-go items from Texas restaurants including Rosario’s Mexican Cafe Y Cantina in San Antonio and Ramen Tatsu-ya in Austin.
Proceeds from the in-store meals go directly to the eateries, and H-E-B is helping expedite regulations and labeling requirements to speed up availability. Under normal conditions, those processes could take months.
“We are a family of foodies, and we have a deep relationship with lots of restaurants and chefs, so this is something we wanted to do to help in these difficult times,” H-E-B spokeswoman Dya Campos told MySA.
The program has allowed Max & Louie's to bring back 10 of the 60 workers it laid off after the shelter-in-place order limited its businesses to curbside takeout and delivery, MySA reports. The deli's food items are now available in five H-E-Bs with plans for more.
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