SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) – Shopping for food is one of those “essential activities” still permitted under the Bay Area-wide shelter in place order.

In the spirit of helping out their clientele, many of whom are seniors, some restaurants are offering discounts.

The health officials have been saying the way to get through this is by looking out for each other.  

Many stores and restaurants are trying to do just that and going the extra mile for seniors.

San Jose’s Zanotto’s Market is offering dedicated shopping for seniors during the coronavirus shelter at home order.  

The popular local chain is pioneering a kind of “Senior Hour” concept, which will find the store open only to people 60 or older from 8 to 9 a.m. each day, says the store’s Khadija Zanotto.

“Yeah, so, we thought the best way that we can help our community, especially our senior, is to open up the first hour of our business, our normal hours of operation are 7:30 we start on weekdays but we’ve changed that to 8,” Khadija Zanotto said.

Zanotto’s wants seniors to know they are cleaning and wiping down surfaces every night and that the store will be stocked as much as possible by 8 a.m. each morning.

“We ask that our customers are patient with us during this process because it’s uncharted waters for all of us, but we have a lot of meat, our deli items are stacked, we have so many wonderful homemade items that people can take, grab and go dinners, stuff like that so it’ll allow people to get in and out of the store quickly,” Zanotto said. 

Elsewhere in San Jose, the bar is closed but the Brittania Arms Almaden is offering curbside takeout service for authentic St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage, while supplies last. 

Senior citizens may ask for a discount says the restaurant’s Michael North by phone.

“We’ve decided that, you know, corned beef and cabbage for Irish, we want to get it to the people, so we’re doing curbside service, we’re call in and we can bring it out to your car, we have mobile credit card readers, we are wearing gloves, we will sanitize your credit cards when we bring it back to you and we’ll serve until alter on, early this evening and try and get people that. Then we’re gonna be unfortunately going into quarantine like everybody for a couple of weeks, but we wanted to, you know, try and at least get some people some to go orders,”Michael North said.

In Los Gatos, signs are posted at the purple onion and other restaurants that are also open for takeout food.  

One even has a sidewalk hand sanitizer for customers and passers-by.  

In San Jose, seniors 70 and over who live within two miles of a Tony and Alba’s can get a free pizza.

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