Last week’s column, which included a mention of GrubHub, Uber Eats and Door Dash, prompted a response.
I learned something new, which is one of my favorite things about being a journalist.
Here’s this week’s business roundup.
A thing called Takeout Central
Funny enough, casual dining options are available for delivery in Chatham County, mainly in the Pittsboro area, but not from one of the more popular services.
As I was informed by Susan White, owner of The Root Cellar Cafe & Catering in Pittsboro, several Pittsboro restaurants’ menus are available through Takeout Central, a local app and website that’s based in the Triad as well as western North Carolina, according to its website. The service started in 1996 to serve the students of UNC-Chapel Hill.
Seven restaurants in the Pittsboro area are accessible on the app: Jersey Mike’s Subs, New Japan, Village Pizza & Pasta, Carolina Brewery, Moon Asian Bistro, The Root Cellar and Town Hall Burger & Beer in Briar Chapel. White told me that the Root Cellar is “happy” to have the service, but it currently has its drawbacks.
“(Takeout Central) and other services like them, including GrubHub, have been unable to find enough delivery drivers to offer a more full-service delivery, including for breakfast and lunch,” White said. “Currently, we are only able to offer our dinner menu for delivery. As the area grows, I’m certain this will no longer be an issue and I can guarantee more restaurants, including ours, will be happy that we can offer our full menu for delivery.”
New restaurant in Siler City
The Chatham Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon-cutting celebration for Nericcio’s Family Restaurant earlier this week. Located at 1110 N. Second Ave. in Siler City, the restaurant serves breakfast all day, Italian food, subs, burgers and more. The restaurant officially opened earlier in October, and a peek at their menu, which you can find on their Facebook page, shows that they do indeed have all-day breakfast.
I don’t think I’ve ever been to a place where I can order waffles and pasta at the same time. That’s got to be at least a little bit unique.
Schools and Mosaic
I have a story on the front page of this week’s edition about the announcement of the first tenants of the Mosaic development at the gateway of Chatham Park in Pittsboro. But something that didn’t make it in the story is how the county school system will be affected.
Chatham County Schools COO Chris Blice spoke at Tuesday’s event and said the district is “very appreciative of our partnership with Chatham Park and Mosaic.” He said the district is in constant communication with developers and they’ve shared projects, like the new Charger Boulevard entrance into Northwood High School across the street from the Mosaic development.
Specific to Mosaic, Blice said, the district is hopeful that Mosaic and its amenities, including housing, will attract teachers to the area. Districts across the state are having a hard time finding and retaining qualified teachers, so having these amenities, Blice said, should be a good asset for the schoool system as well.
Reporter Zachary Horner can be reached at zhorner@chathamnr.com or on Twitter at @ZachHornerCNR, where he tweets about more things schools, business and food.