West Campus restaurants adapt hours, close due to COVID-19

Restaurants on The Drag and in West Campus have closed or changed their hours in the past months to accomodate for COVID-19 and the lack of customers.

Many businesses also implemented new guidelines to allow for alternatives to eating out, including more delivery options, curbside pick-up, marked spaces for lines and social distancing between tables. Some locations on The Drag and in West Campus, including Mango 8, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell and Caffé Medici, have temporarily closed.

“Given the current situation with the pandemic, we made the difficult choice to close the store,” according to a flyer inside Mango 8, a tea house on W. 24th Street. “We hope to see your familiar faces and let us say thank you for your patronage.”

Chelsea Grieco, a communications and public relations representative for CAVA, a Mediterranean restaurant on Guadalupe Street, said they updated the chain’s digital order and off-premise pickup procedure to allow customers more takeout options since the restaurant closed its dining area.

“From the introduction of a cleaning concierge role … to team member health checks and hazard pay, we are committed to the safety of our guests and team members,” Grieco said. “Hand sanitizer dispensers have been added at the primary entrance and exit of every restaurant, we have signage up to communicate the breadth of our safety measures … and clear partitions are located at checkout for an additive safety barrier between our team members and our guests.”

Look Noodle, a Japanese ramen restaurant on Guadalupe Street, updated its dine-in and take-out experience, cut their hours and placed tables 6 feet apart.

“Inside, we have signs to allow for social distancing so there are more spaces between tables and customers,” Look Noodle server Karina Soto said. “Before, we were partially self-serve, but now we bring everything to customers to prevent cross-contamination.”

Psychology junior Kasey Escamilla said her restaurant experience changed significantly since COVID-19 cases surged in Austin.

“I don’t feel comfortable going into restaurants at all,” Escamilla said. “I started to only buy food from places that only offer curbside pickup.”

West Campus restaurants serving takeout and dine-in while also requiring masks inside include Chipotle, Pizza Press, Smoothie King, Qdoba and Pluckers Wing Bar. Restaurants only allowing takeout and requiring masks include Coco’s Cafe, Tapioca House, Bao’d Up, Halal Bros, Kung Fu Tea, Wingstop and Roppolo’s Pizzeria.

Below is a list of the new hours of restaurants on The Drag and in West Campus: