How established restaurants are coping with the abrupt transition from dine-in to delivery during the MCO

Restaurants across the country have been forced to adapt to the new order of things, which encompasses deliveries and takeaways only. — The Cinnamon Group

In restaurants across Malaysia over the past week and a half, kitchen staff have gotten increasingly used to the sight of empty halls and the soundtrack of total, eerie silence. In many eateries, the electricity has been switched off in the dining areas, casting a particularly dark, motionless pall on things.

With the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) on March 18, restaurants in the country had had to adapt to the rules in place (eateries can only offer takeaway or delivery services; customers cannot dine-in) or face total closure. In one fell swoop, the entire restaurant industry started operating ghost kitchens – food preparation facilities set up only for deliveries and takeaways.