Photo by Jake Przytarski As part of its ongoing transition from sit-down dining to a take-out business, Brau Brothers Brewing Company has been offering a fish fry special on Fridays. Local restaurants have been adjusting menus to avoid wasting food.

MARSHALL — With dine-in service no longer available in restaurants across the state of Minnesota, local establishments have been grappling with the issue of how much food to order from their suppliers in order to meet the needs of customers, while also preventing food waste.

Marshall City Administrator Sharon Hanson said it’s a problem that’s been raised by numerous restaurants in the area over the past week.

“Those (food) products have an expiration date so we’ve had some questions about what do we do with this product.” Hanson said. “We’ve had really good conversation with our legislators, Chris Swedzinski and Gary Dahms, kind of expressing the business impact side of it.”

Co-owner of Brau Brothers Brewing Company, Dustin Brau, said food ordering has always been in flux, but the pandemic has made things even more challenging.

“Yes, we have (had to limit food orders),” said Brau. “All food ordering is variable so it’s just taking that to another level.”

In combating food waste, Brau Brothers has shortened up its menu to emphasize its highest-selling items which allows for them to buy in bulk.

“Basically, tightening up your menu and kind of taking a second look at those items that maybe you wouldn’t sell as many (has been one strategy),” Brau said. “But then we have some specials where it’s a little bit easier to order for bulk.”

The changes have been applied to the way they sell their beer as well with the taproom closed to patrons. As a result, the company has ramped up its production of packaged items to fulfill the needs of liquor stores.

“We’re shifting our production in the brewery over to packaged items,” Brau said. “We’re not sending the kegs out the door like we used to send out, but we are sending a lot of cases out the door, so we’ve actually ramped up our beer production. Partly because we were low on inventory but partly because we want to make sure that the liquor stores are properly stocked as well as our own growlers.”

Further up Main Street at Hunan Lion, the pandemic created immediate issues as the restaurant made its usual order to its supplier but was unable to sell all of it as a result of the restrictions on dine-in service.

“We’ve had to reduce the amount that we used to order,” said co-owner of Hunan Lion, Sara Ektanitphong. “When (the pandemic) just started, yes (we have had some food waste) because you don’t expect that, and you’re already prepared. We could only do takeout right away, so some food waste will occur.”

Other restaurants, with the help and support of the community, have not seen changes in the way they operate and order from suppliers. Even with their alcohol sales eliminated, Varsity Pub on Main Street has seen its food sales remain steady during the pandemic thanks to a large number of pickup orders and deliveries.

“It hasn’t really changed much, honestly,” said Varsity Pub General Manager Brenna Ahlquist. “Looking at the sales, obviously alcohol sales we can’t do, but as far as food sales the support from the community has been absolutely fantastic and I honestly haven’t really seen a change or a decrease at all in our sales food-wise.”

Specialty sales and promotions help further drive business

Whether it’s drive-thru fish fries at Brau Brothers, or specials on wings and pizza at Varsity Pub, there’s no shortage of unique promotions at local eateries in the hopes of driving sales and moving product out the door.

Varsity Pub has even extended some of its specials usually reserved for dine-in that now apply to takeout service as a way to entice customers and boost sales.

“We are starting up some of our dine-in specials again,” Ahlquist said. “We’re going to do it for this time period as well.”

Over at Brau Brothers, the Friday fish fry patrons drove their cars up at the door waiting to place their order for beer-battered cod fillet baskets. The fish fry attracted enough business on March 27 that Brau Brothers decided to continue it last Friday.