On Friday November 20th Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that most non-essential businesses, including gyms, personal care services, and sit-down service in places such as bars, clubs and restaurants in two regions will be put on lockdown. This news comes shortly after lab confirmed details of COVID infections surpassing 100,000. Officials have said that regions will remain in their zone for a minimum of 28 days. This means that Toronto and Peel will be under lockdown until at least Dec. 21. The Covid-19 game of yoyo continues for all of us in the restaurant industry and you as the foodie.
What exactly does this mean for restaurants starting this week?
Indoor and outdoor services will be prohibited at all food establishments in lockdown regions. We know this isn’t the best news as an avid foodie but our take-out and delivery services are still available and permitted.
Since the pandemic upended life in Toronto and elsewhere in mid-March, ever-changing restrictions on socializing have devastated many businesses based on people mingling and enjoying themselves. We have found ourselves constantly looking for new and innovated ways of encouraging take-out and delivery options. Let’s face it, PHO is a sit down meal. For years our customers have enjoyed a piping hot of PHO in our cozy restaurants and we loved that.
We knew we had to bring that same experience home. We really wanted to recreate the Toronto Pho experience for our customers. We started to brainstorm ways to cater to these uncertain times and create a menu that was taken out friendly. At last, our new PLATTERME menu was born. This new menu not only reduces plastic waste but also provides customers with quick, fresh and healthy dinner solutions.
We talked to hundreds of customers who voiced their opinion on what would make the take out experience even better and came up with a few solutions. In the past ordering PHO as a family take-out option was not an ideal one. When we pictured the hassle of having to reheat 3, 4, 5 different containers of broth at home we then realized that we had to find a more convenient way for our customers. The solution came in the form of a magical aluminum pot. We went above and beyond to source these bad boys for you guys! This pot would hold all the classic broth you’re used to getting when dining in but would be served piping hot because this pot can be heated right on your stovetop. Aside from heating your broth to the perfect heat, this aluminum pot can also be washed (by hand or dishwasher) and reused again whenever you like! Saving the planet, saving you time and money! While the path to reopening is uncertain, we have an opportunity to reinvent how we eat, drink, and gather. We know our new PLATTERME options are just that.
We also created a new menu of old classics you love and new favorites you will love that are now being served “family style” in platters that are big enough to serve 4-6 generously. Some of these new family style dishes include, our Vegetarian Pad Thai, Crispy Spring Rolls, Fresh Cold Rolls, BBQ Tofu, Butter chicken wings and papaya salad with our in house-made beef jerky.
As we shift into this new normal we would just like to thank our loyal customers for spreading the word about Toronto PHO. We love seeing all your Instagram and Facebook posts with our new branded containers. We appreciate that so many of you have referred others to us over the past few months and have let other local foodies know that we are one of the few restaurants in our region that is still open until midnight every day. We are so happy to be included in your list of go-to places for late night take out. This is why we made sure to keep all three of our locations open Monday- Friday from 11am – Midnight.
We cannot wait to see our dining rooms full again. We truly miss seeing our customers enjoying a big bowl of PHO. We will promise to keep you posted on any COVID-19 restaurant updates and restrictions as they come. In the meantime, you can find our entire take out menu online at TorontoPho.com. We are still taking orders over the phone and online.
Stay home and stay safe Toronto! We are all in this together!
Looking for Pho near me? Look no further, Toronto Pho is a family-owned restaurant serving the best pho and late night eats. With 4 locations across Ontario, we offer fast delivery and online ordering for pickup or delivery through our easy to use app available for both Android and iPhone smart phones.
