Memphis restaurants see spike in takeout. What goes into these orders and why you should tip.

When a to-go order comes into Tsunami restaurant, the whole team jumps into action. The person who answers the phone gets all the details and payment information. Then the kitchen prepares the order … every dish all at once, unlike the normal coursed-out scenario that happens when customers dine-in. Then a server makes sure every dish is packaged correctly — paying attention to details such as packaging the sauces on the side. The final step is to deliver the order curbside to the guest.

It may sound like an uncomplicated scenario, but when you consider all the staff involved in each step of the to-go order also is taking care of tables dining in, you can see a to-go order for a full-service restaurant is not as simple as it seems.

It's a similar situation at restaurants across Memphis. Places that normally didn’t offer to-go, or only did a nominal amount of takeout orders, are finding upwards of 50% of their business is now takeout.

We talked to five Memphis restaurants to see what goes on behind-the-scenes in their to-go order processes.

Each restaurant is grateful for every to-go order. They each say the to-go business is sustaining their restaurants, and they expect that takeout will remain an integral part of their businesses post-pandemic.

Another common denominator is that to-go is more work than a dine-in order, and they hope customers remember that when choosing how to tip.

Huey’s

Huey’s restaurants are used to takeout orders. It’s an integral part of their business. The separate takeout entrance at the East Memphis location was so successful, Huey's decided to add one to the Cordova location when the restaurant was remodeled and now plans to add one at each new location.

That said, the volume of takeout orders during the pandemic has substantially increased. In addition to call-in orders, Huey’s added DoorDash and ChowNow to its ordering options.

“Some of our restaurants are still doing 50% of their business to-go,” area manager Hollis Ranson said.

He explained that to box and double check each order may only add 3 or 4 seconds to each box, but all those seconds add up when you are doing dozens of boxes at a time.

“To make sure everything is hot, fresh and good-to-go makes our ticket times a bit longer than normal,” Ranson said.

At most Huey’s restaurants, all employees work on a tip pool. For that reason, Huey’s has added a 15% gratuity to every takeout order.

“We actually have on some shifts more employees working than before the pandemic,” Ranson said. “The gratuity ensures everyone is paid.”

Blue Plate Café

Blue Plate Café manager Shelley Arthur spends a large part of her day on the phone taking orders. “It can be tough when the phone is ringing and I have a customer asking me to read them the menu over the phone while I have a customer standing in front of me waiting to be helped,” said Arthur.

Like at most restaurants, Blue Plate’s employees are all working more than role to take care of their customers.

While many Blue Plate customers have been very generous, Arthur said there are a handful that don’t tip.

“I just think that people don’t realize how much work goes into a to-go order or they don’t know they should tip,” Arthur said. “I don’t expect a 20% tip on a takeout order, but at least acknowledge our time and effort and leave something.”

Tsunami

Takeout was not an integral part of Tsunami’s business before March, but it is now for this fine dining eatery in Cooper-Young.

“We are doing more work than ever before,” owner Ben Smith said. “Everybody is doing every single thing. It’s additional effort on everyone’s behalf.”

Smith said his small kitchen was not designed for high-volume takeout. He has had to set up two to-go stations in the dining room, one for packaging and the other for orders ready to go.

“Tip pooling is everything,” said Smith, explaining how a server waiting on a table is often pulled away to wait on a to-go customer. The attention to detail from his staff is at the same level for to-go as it is for in-house dining. “I know we don’t need to do it, but we write thank you notes on every to-go order.”

Pete & Sam’s

Judd Tashie said Pete & Sam’s is doing more takeout than ever. This Italian institution has always had a robust takeout business, with a dedicated to-go counter, but the volume taken home over the last several months is exponentially larger than before the pandemic.

Tashie, who is co-owner of Pete & Sam’s and owner of Ciao Bella, said tipping on to-go is optional, but he thinks many people don’t realize how much work goes into preparing an order.

“$100 of takeout takes a lot more time and energy to put together than a meal eaten at the restaurant,” Tashie said, citing details like packaging and keeping meals hot and fresh.

His goal is that customers have the same experience with food and customer service with a to-go order as they would dining in. “You make a person feel special, and hopefully they will take care of you in return.”

The Bar-B-Q Shop

Memphians have always picked up to-go orders from The Bar-B-Q Shop in Midtown. The difference between now and pre-pandemic is that most to-go orders were single meals; now they are meals for an entire family.

Owner Eric Vernon loves the new to-go business, but admits that it is more work.

“We try to think of everything. What do we serve on the table that they may not have at home? Things like barbecue sauce and ketchup,” Vernon said. “We don’t want a customer to get home and be missing something.”

Like Ben Smith at Tsunami, Vernon had to get creative for a staging area for takeout orders. Space, packaging and logistics for takeout are all new aspects of his business model to be considered.

He also hopes that his employees will be compensated for the extra work they are putting in.

“Think about your favorite server at a restaurant," Vernon said. "If you want them to be there when this is all over, you have to take care of them now so they don’t go get another job that pays better." 

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.