Following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, many restaurants in the city had to offer delivery options for the first time to mitigate the loss in sales due to the ban on dine-in services.

Zhu Songtao, head chef of the Shanghai Classical Hotel, said that he was first inspired to offer takeaway when a customer who had cancelled his reservation asked if they offered delivery options.

After discussing with the hotel's executives, Zhu got the green light to do so. On Jan 27, the restaurant debuted its delivery menu for the first time in its 145-year history. Most of its customers then were residents from the same neighborhood, but as word of the restaurant's offerings spread, companies that resumed work on Feb 10 started coming forth with group orders.

The restaurant's lunch offering comprises three of its signature dishes plus rice and soup. Priced from 26 to 38 yuan ($3.70-5.40), the restaurant sold an average of 600 lunchboxes per day, said Zhu.

Seeing how more citizens now prefer to take-out instead of dine-in, many restaurants and stores in Shanghai have introduced a new element to theirqueue areas.

In front of the Guang Ming Cun restaurant on Huaihai Road, one can find yellow lines on the ground located a meter apart from one another, a measure taken to prevent customers from getting into close contact with others.