LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In downtown Summerlin, at least two spots are delivering delicious meals to go. Wolfgang Puck Players Locker just opened about two months ago with partners that include players from the Vegas Golden Knights. But because of COVID-19, the restaurant has already been reduced to staff-only.
"Of course, you don't have any customers, but you're still trying to run it as a restaurant every day. We have our staff come in, but we just don't let customers in. But, we're trying to utilize the staff to change the menu to keep it current, to make sure people are aware that we're still here," said Matt Hurley, executive chef at CUT by Wolfgang Puck.
Although patrons aren't allowed inside the Players Locker, Chef Hurley is using this opportunity to turn up the heat on his fellow chefs to be better than the competition.
"As chefs, it drives us every day to change the menu and keep competitive with every other restaurant that's doing delivery or pickup. But how can we do it better than them? How can we change every day," Chef Hurley asks his fellow chefs in the kitchen.
They've answered the call by serving up a rotating to-go menu. This week's theme is bold barbecue, featuring fan favorites like fried chicken, pulled pork, and a rack of ribs. Plus, the Players Locker is still serving up baked breads, wood-fired pizzas, and pies, cakes, and cookies for desert. Chef Hurley says it's all made with the quality and consistency patrons and players have come to expect.
"We're representing Wolfgang Puck with the food we're doing every day. It's that quality. It's that consistency. It's those things that I would feel like they could come here and it's going to be something they will see on our menu in the future," said executive chef Hurley.
Meanwhile, Capriotti's Sandwich Shop is keeping customers fed by keeping its Las Vegas locations open. Management is doubling down on delivery and curbside pickup options, which they've been building up for years.
"We were already seeing more than half, 60-75% of our business in many shops be delivery/pickup. And that part of our business was growing double digits every year, so we were fortunate that we had put a couple years of work into that and our customers really embraced it," said David Bloom, chief operating officer of Capriotti's.
Plus, Bloom says Capriotti's is sanitizing surfaces in shops every hour and sealing every sandwich.
"Those protocols are top of mind for our entire team. Every bag is sealed. Every sandwich is individually wrapped. And certainly, when you go in our shops today, they're being deep-cleaned from top to bottom on a daily basis," said Bloom.
Las Vegas' signature sandwich shop is also partnering with Nevada assemblyman Steve Yeager, offering discounted meals to help feed thousands of hospital and health care workers across the valley.
"Just for being part of the Vegas community, the town, the city that we love, this is the natural response that we all live here, work here, and kids go to school here, so that was really just a natural reaction," said Bloom.
Bloom says Capriotti's has plans to donate thousands more meals in the coming weeks.
