Italian Restaurants Activate Unique Food Delivery Services in Wake of Coronavirus

The decree-law of 9 March, which extends the "red zone" across the whole of Italy, with the hashtag #iorestoacasa (I stay home) has launched a real appeal to all Italian citizens: to stay at home and avoid going out.

This latest provision obliges restaurants to remain closed to the public for both lunch and dinner, with the exception of home catering services and in compliance with the guidelines (below).

So, alongside the companies that already carry out food delivery activities on a daily basis, individual restaurants in Italy are also now taking up the initiative.

Some chefs have also organized themselves to offer a home delivery service; a service they provide to city residents but also as a way of giving continuity to their business in this difficult and delicate moment.

Delivery Services  

The guidelines for restaurants and food delivery activities:

Fipe - the Italian Federation of Public Exercises and AssoDelivery, the trade association of food delivery companies, have disseminated and shared a list of good practices to guarantee service in compliance with precautionary measures and hygiene requirements which are more important to adhere to than ever in the current situation.

As stated in a press release, "this is a testament to how the whole sector is committed to safeguarding the health of consumers, protecting their right to have a service and at the same time keeping businesses alive".

Here are the Fips's guidelines for the correct delivery of food from hygiene and sanitary point of view;

● Everyone must scrupulously follow the recommendations of the Ministry of Health.

● Restaurateurs must make sanitizing products available to their staff, making sure they are used as often as necessary and recommend keeping the interpersonal distance of at least one meter when carrying out all activities.

● Restaurateurs define areas for the collection of prepared food for which they observe extraordinary cleaning and sanitation procedures. These areas must be separated from the premises intended for the preparation of food.

● The pick up of prepared food takes place by ensuring the interpersonal safety distance of at least one meter and the absence of direct contact.

● The prepared food is closed in special containers (or bags) with bag-close adhesives, staples or other, to ensure maximum protection.

● The prepared food is immediately stored in the thermal backpacks or in the transport containers that must be kept clean with sanitizing products, to ensure the maintenance of food safety requirements.

● The delivery of prepared food takes place by ensuring the interpersonal safety distance of at least one meter and the absence of direct contact.

● Anyone with flu-like symptoms stays at home, suspends their work, does not go to the emergency room, but contacts the general practitioner or health authorities.

The chef initiatives, from Cerea to Wicky Priyan

Da Vittorio at Home, the Cerea brothers delivery initiative in Brusaporto (Bergamo)

After announcing the closure of their three Michelin star restaurant Da Vittorio and all its activities on Instagram, the Cerea brothers took the opportunity to remind their customers; "The #DaVittorioAtHome service will remain active, the delivery service with which we will continue to whet your appetite."

The Cereas have designed three special menus for their home delivery service with a choice of fish, meat and vegetarian: which are delivered directly to customer's home, and are free for a minimum purchase of 300 euros, and in the 15 km from Brusaporto (Bergamo).

How to order:
Call 035 681024, or email at [email protected]

Wicky Priyan's Delivery service in Milan

Wicky Priyan, one of the best-loved chefs in the city, from the Japanese restaurant Wicky's Innovative Japanese Cuisine in Milan, thought about diversifying into home delivery service in the initial hours of dealing with the ongoing health emergency.

Wicky's has a special menu for lunch or dinner, which ranges from a selection of cold dishes (including his famous Carpaccio of the 5 continents), to sushi and hot meat and fish dishes (such as Sushi Kan or Black Cod Kyoto history).

How to order:
Orders are taken from Tuesday to Friday from 10.30am to 8pm (only on Monday and Saturday from 4pm to 8pm), while deliveries are made from Tuesday to Friday between 12.30 and 2pm, for lunch, and between 7pm and 10pm for dinner (on Monday and Saturday dinner only).

The delivery service is available in the area of ​​the Municipality of Milan, orders are delivered to your home by taxi, free of charge for those of an amount greater than 120 euros, while for all others there is a delivery cost of 15 euros.

Payment must be made in advance through PayPal, by clicking on a special link you receive via SMS on your mobile phone when ordering.

Contemporary Italian Cooking by "Daniel Canzian at home"

Also in Milan, one of the cities first affected by the safety measures for coronavirus, Daniel Canzian launched the DanielCanzian initiative "in your home", home delivery service in March.

Canzian serve customers seasonal dishes in their home using raw materials from a network of forty small local producers. Diners can choose between four different menus (from 50 to 70 euros per person) and a choice of finger food for an aperitif (10 euros per person).

Among the dishes on offer are tortelli stuffed with guinea fowl, marsala sauce with hazelnuts and pink grapefruit, gnocchi with golden potatoes and stuffed with creamed cod, puntarelle and Syracuse sauce, San Pietro fish with sweet oil of almonds, fennel and Sicilian orange Lively broth with seafood from the northern Adriatic.

How to order:
The service, for a minimum of two people, can be booked by calling 02 63793837 or writing to [email protected], well in advance of the delivery time. The cost of delivery is 10 euros, while for orders of 4 people or more, delivery is free.

Free meals for "nonni" living in the neighbourhood of the Da Giacomo restaurant

Da Giacomo restaurant, in via Sottocorno in Milan, is a true institution. Like many local restaurants, he has decided to close at this delicate moment, but his kitchen remains active both for delivery as well as a nice solidarity initiative for segments of the population at "high risk."

The staff have decided to offer the elderly people living in the restaurant's neighbourhood a hot meal, delivered to their home for lunch and dinner, completely free of charge. Postcards are distributed in the neighbourhood buildings with the daily menu and a number to call.

These are just a few examples of the initiatives that up to now have involved chefs and restaurants in and around Milan, to cope with the difficult moment and the precautionary measures for containing coronavirus though the situation throughout Italy is constantly evolving. Follow us for updates.