The Old Jailhouse restaurant in Sanford has been on lockdown since early April, choosing to forego even takeout or delivery, waiting for a reprieve from the governor announcing a reopening.

When that day comes, Bram Fowler will not return to his role as executive chef. In a note, Fowler cited “many different reasons” as part of his decision to sever ties with the restaurant, which has had a tumultuous young life.

The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show, the largest restaurant trade show in the southeast, has been cancelled. It was scheduled to take place Sept. 22-23 at the Orange County Convention Center.

Big Fin Seafood Kitchen, the Restaurant Row favorite, has managed to keep operating the last couple of months providing takeout and delivery, but it did it with a skeleton crew of mainly managerial staffers. The bulk of the restaurant’s employees were furloughed.

And those of you who continued to order Big Fin’s Scallops Orleans, Crab Cakes and other delicious delicacies showed your appreciation with generous tips.

But general manager Michael Venutolo, who joined Big Fin just before the shutdown and who is the restaurant’s first GM in its 11 year history (!), didn’t feel right keeping the tips. “We were still getting paychecks,” Venutolo told a reporter for WKMG News 6, “the hardworking staff weren’t.” So he proposed to the management team that they set the gratuities aside and save them for the regular staffers when they returned.

So they did. They saved $5,000 in tips.

Here are the finalists for Best Takeout 2020.

You may vote for only one restaurant one time. Write-in candidates are not accepted. When deciding whom to vote for, consider the food, of course, but also consider the takeout experience. Give special consideration to the restaurants that have had to reconfigure their business model to provide takeout during the pandemic.Click “Read More” to see the finalists and place your vote.

• First Watch has reopened its Central Florida restaurants as of Monday, June 1. The popular breakfast and lunch spot closed all of its locations nationwide on April 13 after operating on a takeout and delivery basis for several weeks. New protocols include screening staff members before each shift; making face coverings and gloves available to staff; and providing single-use menus and condiments. The restaurants will continue to offer no-contact takeout and delivery. Florida restaurants are currently allowed to operate at 50 percent of capacity with a minimum of six feet between tables.
• Delaney’s Tavern is expanding its outdoor seating, adding umbrellas and outdoor air-conditioning units. Inside, plexiglass partitions are being added between booths.