Restaurants ramp up family meal packages as shelter-at-home mandates increase

Now that COVID-19 has forced schools to close and many Americans to work from home, the demand for family-size to-go meals has swelled. Shuttered restaurants that are already trying to boost revenues with takeout and delivery are adding meal packages that can feed the whole family. Some offer chef-driven menus that are slightly pricier, while others are sweetened with a special deal. All are a break from the default pizza.

Several of the full-service restaurants in Chicago’s Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) group have joined forces to launch Lettuce Take Care of You. The program provides three meals each week that feed a family of four for $150, with options from RPM Steak, Beatrix, Aba, Ramen-San and others. Options include Aba’s menu of Braised Short Rib, Village Salad and Creme Brulee Pie and Ramen-San’s Imperial Shio Ramen, Salad-San and Karaage Chicken Fried Rice. Customers order the week before up until Sunday at 4 p.m., and the meals can be delivered or available for curbside pickup.

Other LEYE restaurants are offering family meals to pick up for a single night. Big City Chicken has a fried chicken dinner, while Nacional is serving up chimichurri skirt steak and Osteria Via Stato, Italian seafood stew. All are $12-$15 per person for a minimum of two diners. RPM Italian’s Family Meal for Four is $50 per person and features Giuliana’s Italian Salad, Mama DePandi’s Bucatini Pomodoro, Truffled Garlic Bread and Bill’s Chocolate Budino.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill introduced a Family Meal Deal that feeds four starting at $29.95. Guests can order from entrees including cheeseburgers, grilled salmon, grilled chicken and baby back ribs. All meals come with a choice of mixed greens or BLT salad, sides, bread and desserts such as assorted cheesecake and brownie bites. Both curbside pickup and door-to-door delivery are available at all Firebirds locations.

PST Family Meals are ready to order at Pacific Standard Time in Chicago. Each night of the week brings a different option for a $40 dinner that feeds four. This week, Tuesday’s menu includes meatloaf, a wedge salad, roasted broccoli and snickerdoodles; on Thursday, there’s green chili pork shoulder, cornbread, coleslaw, mac and cheese and sprinkle butter cookies.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill is packing up its signature Feast for Five for $25. It includes a choice of four pastas—Spaghetti Bolognese, Fettuccine Alfredo, Sausage Rigatoni or Pasta Milano—along with Rosa’s Signature Caesar Salad and Rosemary Peasant Bread. The Feast for Five is available from Sunday through Thursday

DineAmic Hospitality, parent company of Siena Tavern and Public House in Chicago, also launched family meal packages with a cost of $40. Siena Tavern’s three courses include an antipasti, entree and salad with choices such as burrata with tomato jam, Tuscan kale salad and several pastas. Public House is offering its signature wings and mac and cheese. All current sales directly support the restaurants’ employees. 

Family Deals at Nathan’s Famous are designed to appeal to households with younger children. The Hot Honey Chicken Meal ($24.99) features two half chickens, two large fries, and four soft drinks and apple pies, while the Hot Dog Meal ($19.99) includes four original Nathan’s hot dogs with toppings, fries, soft drinks and apple pies.

Family meals from Lazy Dog feed five people and start at $25 for Tex Mex Salad or Fettuccini Alfredo with a Caesar salad. Grilled Lemon Chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans goes for $30. For every meal ordered, one will be donated to an organization serving those in need. The casual-dining chain is also offering boxes filled with groceries for $40. LD Pantry Home Essentials includes staples such as milk, eggs, butter, chicken, bread, rice, potatoes and toilet paper.