Doha: Diners in Doha can enjoy restaurant meals from the safety and comfort of their vehicles, as many eateries have started a drive-in service for those who want to enjoy eating out during COVID-19 restrictions.

Many restaurants have adopted this approach as a way to continue receiving customers without breaking the COVID-19 precautionary measures. The services are available at several restaurants in The Pearl-Qatar, Msheireb Downtown Doha, Katara Cultural Village, North Gate Mall, and Lusail.

In this car dine-in restaurant service, the customers can have their food and drinks inside their cars, with special set-ups.

Customers drive into the parking lot of restaurants and order by electronic devices or scan a QR code through the vehicle windows.

Each meal order comes on a customised tray that fits the narrow space between the driver seat and steering wheel. Some restaurants serve in small trays that fit between the driver and passenger seats. The waiters serve the food and drinks inside the vehicle only.

Social, a cafe in Lusail Marina, is one of the first eateries to introduce such a service in the country. The restaurant’s car dine-in service ranges from ordinary to customised orders in the car.

“Once the dine-in services were restricted, we were offering takeaway and home delivery services. But it was not satisfactory. We were looking for something different and came across the car-dine-in service. I initially experimented with the idea with some friends and later introduced it to customers,” said Zaid Ismaeel, General Manager at Social.

“Our customers like the concept. We serve every order as per the customers’ request. Some prefer to dine in our original ceramic plates and cutlery. Others will ask for disposable cups and cutlery.”

Ismaeel said his restaurant follows all COVID-19 preventive measures and health guidelines throughout the food preparation, storage, and delivery to customers.  Like Qatar, restaurants in other countries have found innovative dining solutions for their customers during the pandemic. The new car dine-in trend has also been introduced by many restaurants worldwide and large food chains to survive during this period.

Source: The Peninsula, Qatar’s Daily Newspaper