Zachary’s Pizza is a popular pizza restaurant with locations throughout the Bay Area. They serve some of the best Chicago-style deep dish pizza anywhere in the world. In response to the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 coronavirus, however, Zachary’s announced in mid-January that they are voluntarily closing in-person dining through late January.
According to a statement on the Zachary’s website, “The Bay Area continues to see a surge with the Omicron variant and we, as a company, continue to navigate it to the best of our ability. With an overabundance of caution in mind, Zachary’s will be offering takeout only through Sunday, January 23rd at our Oakland and Berkeley locations, and through Thursday, January 20th at our Pleasanton and Pleasant Hill locations.”
Outdoor dining may resume earlier than indoor dining. According to Zachary’s, “Outdoor patio dining only will resume at Pleasant Hill and Pleasanton on Friday, January 21st.”
Why the Change to Takeout Only
Explaining the decision, Zachary’s said that it was not made lightly, but that the health and safety of their staff and customers was a main factor. Zachary’s also cited ongoing challenges with finding enough staff members, saying “As we also continue struggling with staffing shortages, we believe we’ll be better able to serve you in this temporarily adjusted model, than by overly stretching our resources.”
Restaurants in Contra Costa County, where the majority of the chain’s locations are found, has not yet restricted indoor dining due to the Omicron variant. The move by Zachary’s is a voluntary one. Zachary’s is an employee-owned company, so its employee-owners may have been faster to respond to changing conditions than other restaurants that do not have an employee-owned structure.
What’s Next for Zachary’s?
According to the statement, Zachary’s plans to reopen its indoor dining spaces on January 24th, 2022. However, the company says that “the current climate is ever changing and Zachary’s may need to adjust accordingly”, so it’s possible that the takeout-only setup could continue beyond late January if Omicron continues to surge.
In the meanwhile, customers can order pizzas to go via Zachary’s online ordering system.
