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Local restaurants are a crucial part of the fabric, flavor and culture of any city, and Suffolk is no different.

Dozens of outstanding eateries dot the map of Suffolk, and there is something for everyone. Our local restaurants are so important, not only as employers and consumers of services themselves but also as community gathering places and a point of community pride.

However, virtually all of them are bound to take a financial hit during this pandemic crisis, and that goes both for the businesses as well as for their workers, who are likely to receive fewer hours and less tips as a result of something that is entirely beyond their control.

As you can see in the story in today’s edition, many of the restaurants are pulling out all of the stops to adapt to this unprecedented crisis. From ramping up takeout and delivery and even curbside pickup to offering family meals to eat at home and promoting their gift certificates, local restaurants are doing all they can to survive.

What’s worse, this crisis is coming to a head during Restaurant Week, which is normally a time for lots of people to go out to local restaurants and check them out.

We want to see every single local restaurant in Suffolk weather this crisis and come out stronger on the other end, so we urge all Suffolk citizens to do whatever they can to support your restaurants.

Here are just a few things you can do:

• Order takeout, delivery and family meals from the restaurants that are offering them.
• Tip generously to anyone who serves you, and make sure they know you appreciate them staying open.
• Buy swag like T-shirts, glassware and other merchandise from the restaurants that offer them.
• Purchase gift certificates from the restaurants that offer them.
• When a restaurant gives you great service, write great reviews on online platforms such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google and Facebook.
• When this crisis is over and it’s once again safe to go back to our normal lives, use those gift cards and frequent local restaurants as much as possible.