Support Local During COVID-19: Sidney Dairy Barn
n the greater Champaign County area, local businesses aren't just businesses. Our neighbors, family, and friends are all working to keep things as normal as possible amidst the COVID-19 precautions as outlined by the Governor of Illinois and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department. These challenging times serve as a reminder to residents in the greater Champaign County area just how wonderful our local businesses, restaurants, and community truly is. If there's ever a time to embrace #OutsideofOrdinary, it's now.
sidney Dairy Barn
Sidney Dairy Barn is an iconic spot in the greater Champaign County area. When spring rolls around, nothing beats walking up to the order window and grabbing your favorite flavor. With COVID-19 regulations shutting the shop down for the month of April, the ice cream shop had to rethink the way they'd approach the upcoming busy season.
The first step was the safety of customers and employees. A few major changes are in place now to help everyone stay safe:
- Flower pots outside spaced 6 feet apart with signs that say "Please stay 6 hooves apart"
- The table in front of the pick-up window to keep customers a few feet away while the staff fulfills the order. When done, the customer can pick up after a staff member moves back.
- The person taking orders and payment is only doing that task. This keeps 1 person only coming in contact with customers. The rest of the staff is safely separated from customers.
Another huge addition to the operation this season is an online store. The shop hosts options for ice cream in sealed containers like quarts, half gallons, sealed ice cream sandwiches, and tire swings. Customers call the Dairy Barn once in the parking lot, which is when the staff pull their order and take it to a table outside. Folks can pick up their order from the table.
With the state moving closer and closer to a regional reopening, Sidney Dairy Barn and other local businesses are doing their part to keep employees and customers safe. It's up to residents and, eventually, visitors, to do their part as well. With the safety of ourselves and others in mind, we can enjoy our favorite seasonal treats like Sidney Dairy Barn and keep everyone around us healthy.
Follow Sidney Dairy Barn on Instagram or give them a like on Facebook. Place orders on their website for pickup here.
HOW TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS
As we see a reduction in business to our area, we continue to encourage the support of our local businesses and the hospitality industry. As of Sunday, March 15, it is state-mandated that bars & restaurants close. Please note that carry-out and curbside pick-up options are available. As of May 1, new rules apply via a stay-at-home extension with looser guidelines for curbside operation and outdoor recreation. We are collecting information on these options and posting them here, but also encourage patrons to follow their favorite spots on social media for updates or call for more information.
We will continue to post updates on our Business Updates and Cancellations page as we receive them, but encourage everyone to take guidelines from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the CDC seriously.