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Appetite for production
Restaurants re-tool their business to survive the pandemic
By BARBARA B. COVELL
For the TODAY
Restaurants have been hit hard by
the COVID-19 pandemic, with state
restrictions limiting them to take-out and
delivery service only for the past 10 weeks.
As of May 15, a new set of rules set out
criteria for a gradual re-opening: tables
must be six feet apart, no parties of more
than 10 people, servers must wear masks.
Along the coast, restaurants that have
rebranded their operations to offer take-
out and delivery service are now re-tooling
again to offer in-dining services as soon as
possible.
Marci’s Bistro, located at 1343 NW
Hwy. 101 in Lincoln City, offers crepes,
breakfast, pizza and calzones with takeout
and delivery options. Now that Phase 1 of
Oregon’s reopening has begun, Marci’s will
accommodate walk-in customers as space
allows but reservations are recommended
for those wanting to dine in. Reservations
can be made online at www.marcisbar.com
or by calling 541-921-1423.
“We are going to be learning as we go,”
said owner Marci Baker. “We are working
on getting everything set and ready for
dine-in customers. We have had to re-do
our floor plan and have created multiple
spaces for parties up to 10 people. Our plan
is to open for dine-in and take-out until 10
pm, but when the short-term rentals open
back up, we will offer take-out and delivery
until 2 am.”
After the initial shutdown order came
into effect, Marci’s Bistro started a unique
subscription dinner delivery program that
features homemade dinners at $5 per
person, seven days per week. Baker intends
to keep this going on a long-term basis.
Sign up online and prepay for each week of
service.
When the pandemic first hit, Baker
merged the Marci’s Bistro menu with that
of her other business — Zest Creperie &
Tea House, located at 1816 NE Hwy. 101.
She plans to split the menus apart again in
the near future, giving Zest a fresh new plan
Above: Penelope Cole and Tony Perez of Cafe C’est La Vie
Left: Danelle Lochrie of Olde Line Lanes & Kitchen on her Friday delivery run.
and anticipated re-opening date by July 1.
Penelope Cole is the owner of Café C’est
La Vie in Lincoln Beach, a café designed
with the charming pâtisseries of Paris in
mind. Local artisans display their artwork
on the walls, which Cole designed as an
“open gallery.”
The café offers daily varieties of scones,
quiche and house-made soups as well as
sweet and savory crepes, sandwiches and
select specialty items such as parfaits and
salads.
During the pandemic, Cole has
switched to take out and delivery service,
limiting staff to minimize exposure to their
customers. Café C’est La Vie offers free
delivery to Depoe Bay, Gleneden Beach and
Lincoln City.
Cole said the café will be reopening for
limited indoor seating on Friday, May 22.
“We are perfecting our safe distancing
measures with modified seating and signage
enforcing the six-foot of separation between
guests. We will still offer take-out and
delivery throughout the month of June and
re-evaluate the situation in July.”
Café C’est La Vie is located at 8 Bella
Beach Drive and open from 8:30 am to
3:30 pm Wednesday to Sunday. Orders can
be placed by calling 541-764-2828. Menus
are available at thecafecestlavie.com.
Other innovations abound. Mangia
Italian Deli at the Salishan Marketplace
has partnered with a local taxi company to
deliver dishes such as linguini, ravioli and
manicotti from Depoe Bay to Lincoln City.
Details at mangiasalishan.com.
Meanwhile, faced with the prospect
of long-term restrictions on the use of its
in-house bowling alley, Olde Line Lanes
& Kitchen in Lincoln City has shifted to a
delivery and pickup model — making house
calls most Fridays with an ever-changing
range of ready-to-bake dishes; and serving
up hot meals for pickup on Saturdays.
Order online at www.oldelinelanes.com.
Dave Price, director of the Small
Business Development Center at Oregon
Coast Community College, said local
restaurants have done their part and urged
diners to do theirs.
“If you’d like to enjoy our local
restaurants and bars this summer, fall and
winter,” he said, “you need to start ordering
takeout and delivery orders from them this
spring.”
oregoncoastTODAY.com • facebook.com/oregoncoasttoday • May 22, 2020 • 7