1. Dine In

The sizzle of a steak on a skillet. Clinking plates and glass. Beer poured from the tap. There’s nothing quite like the experience of eating in a restaurant. If you miss these sounds, flavors, and feelings as much as we do, we invite you to explore the ways that NH restaurants are ready to welcome you into a safe environment. Dining in is the number one most helpful way to support restaurants and their staff.

*And let’s be clear. When we say dine-in, we mean sitting at one table in a restaurant with people in your household or pod only. Safety is a shared experience that goes both ways between a restaurant and customer.

2. Purchase Gift Cards

Gift cards make great gifts and are a simple way to support restaurants with immediate revenue during these critical winter months. Whether it’s $10 or $100, buying a restaurant gift card now and using it later in spring is a simple but powerful act that will go a long way in keeping a business open.

3. Takeout

Since the start of the pandemic, takeout has evolved to offer consumers more options than ever before. Many restaurants are selling family meal options, meal kits, and take and bake meals that can last you several meals or feed large households at an affordable price. Others have promotional days and coupons, special carryout menus, and even grocery items. Whether you’re getting carryout, delivery, or contactless pickup, you’re helping restaurants keep cooking while saving yourself the hassle of doing dishes.

*When placing an order, consider calling directly instead of using third-party delivery options. This saves restaurants from having to pay fees to these websites.

4. Add Beer or Wine to Your Order

Did you know that in NH, restaurants are temporarily allowed to sell and deliver beer and wine to go? Take advantage while you can! Order your beer, wine, or cocktail-kit to go to make your takeout experience truly complete.

5. Leave a Positive Review

Offer moral support the digital way by leaving a positive review on sites like Yelp, Google, and Facebook! Or, engage with a favorite local restaurant on social media. Your likes, comments, and shares will not only boost the morale of a restaurant and its team, but help them attract customers now and well into the future.

6. Buy Merchandise

Another fun way to keep your favorite restaurant afloat and introduce them to a wider audience? Purchase a few pieces of swag! Hats, shirts, mugs, glasses – you name it and there’s a probably a restaurant that makes it. Best of all, it’s a great conversation starter when you’re on the street or in a store. And after a year like 2020, it’s nice to have something positive to talk about with strangers.

7. Tip Generously if You Can

If you have a little extra, considering leaving a little extra. Tipped staff across the state have been impacted by reduced hours and fewer guests and seasonal tourists, in many cases devastating their incomes.

8. Donate to the New Hampshire Hospitality Employee Relief Fund

If you’d like to give directly to hospitality employees in need, the New Hampshire Hospitality Employee Relief Fund is accepting donations. Since March, NHHERF has distributed more than $180,000 in the form of $250 relief grants to eligible hospitality workers. To make a donation or apply for a grant, visit NHHERF.org.