Restaurants Go Takeout and Delivery, Senior Grocery Shopping Time Blocks, New Fast Food Menu Items [3/16/2020 – 3/22/2020]

• Sweeping restrictions of public interactions have caused many restaurants to close throughout the country, and many restaurants are feeling the pinch. To stay afloat, restaurants are offering curbside and even free delivery service. Supporting local businesses is another way we can continue to take care of each other during this time. 

• Grocery store chains around the country are designating blocks of time for senior citizens and those with compromised immune systems to shop without the crowds. Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, and Dollar General all join the growing list of retailers who will open their doors an hour early to provide a safe shopping experience for this demographic of shoppers.

• Teami Detox Tea, a company that has used countless celebrities and social media influencers to promote their weight loss product, was recently forced to pay out a million dollars for making false claims. The Federal Trade Commission charged the brand with deceiving customers by not only making weight-loss claims, but also claiming the tea can fight cancer, beat the flu, and unclog arteries. The FTC also named several celebrities such as Jordin Sparks and Cardi B, who did not mention they had received compensation to promote the tea. 

• Here are a few new food items coming to some of your favorite fast-food chains this spring. Thank you Washington Post for giving us this sneak peek of the Triplelupa, the longest taco shell Taco Bell has ever seen. We can’t wait to try this work of art. 

• A new study shows that manicured parks in large cities could help feed 15% of the surrounding areas' local population. The University of Sheffield study showed that, by converting 10% of the land into fruit and vegetable gardens, spaces could produce enough food for that 15% to hit their “five a day” recommended fruit and vegetable quota.