Restaurants bringing orders curbside to waiting customers. Grocery stores dedicating at least an hour of shopping time to just senior citizens and limiting the amount of consumers inside at one time. Delis offering toilet paper by the roll.

Businesses in the area have been forced to adapt to a changing climate as Gov. Tom Wolf urges even those that are essential to limit their contact with customers in an effort to curb any spread of the coronavirus.

Country Harvest Family Market in Palmerton is trying to keep around 25 customers at a time in the store to practice good social distancing.

“We started it yesterday and the customers have really been accepting of it and responded well to it,” store owner Chris Anthony said on Wednesday morning. “There were no real parameters to go off of. At the time we were considering this, the government was asking people not to be in groups over 50, so we factored in our employees and delivery personnel and thought 20 to 25 would be a good number.”

Even with the measure in place, Anthony said, the longest any customer waited to get in the store Tuesday was around 3 minutes.

“It can seem a little scary when you go to the store and see that sign on the door that you’re only letting so many people in, but it has worked well,” Anthony said. “It actually makes for a more pleasant shopping experience for the consumer because they’re not having to battle long lines at the deli or battle a bunch of people for a product when a pallet is unloaded. It almost felt like a little return to normalcy when you got in the store.”

Country Harvest joined many other stores such as Dollar General and Giant in dedicating a time for only seniors to shop. From 8-9 a.m., only customers 60 and older, as well as those at an increased health risk will be permitted in the store. The store is also offering free home delivery. Orders can be called in or texted to Sheri Anthony at 610-737-0469.

Meanwhile other businesses, such as Cindy’s Deli in Franklin Township, are taking steps to help area residents. While they’re still busy with takeout food orders, they have also set up a “staple items” table. On the table are items such as bread, rolls, toilet paper and paper towels. Toilet paper is being sold by the roll at 99 cents each, while paper towels are going for $1.25 a roll, both limited to three per customer.

“We just thought if people are out and they’re coming here to pick up take out and they need just one thing, they can get it and maybe save themselves some time,” said Caitlin Moyer, Cindy’s Deli co-owner. “They are mostly things we always have for sale here anyway, a lot of people may just not know about them. We have cream of mushroom soup that has 11 servings per can. Things like that can help a family out for a while.”

Customers have not only taken advantage of the offerings, they have helped expand the offerings on the staple items table.

“We’re kind of learning as we go what people want to see there,” Moyer said. “Someone asked about tissues and it turns out our distributor has them available. We’re just trying to make every day in this new world we’re living in a little easier on people.”

Like many places that offer food, Cindy’s Deli is doing takeout and delivery orders only. The lunch period on Wednesday was still busy, Moyer said, but things were a little slower than normal as the afternoon wore on.

“We’re still doing pretty good,” she added. “Getting people in and out quickly and maintaining proper social distancing. We’re also doing contact-free delivery. We can drop it off on your front porch. We’ll say hi through the window if you want.”

Ateira’s on First in Lehighton is offering meals that can last a few days for families or they can be easily packaged to freeze. These meals can be delivered to the door step on Sunday or people can get curbside pickup.

On the recreation front, Blue Shamrock Golf Club in Palmerton is remaining open with certain restrictions. The club is only giving out tee times every 16 minutes and the flagstick must be left in the hole at all times. All customers must park one space away from other vehicles in the parking lot. Weather permitting, the club is hoping to be open Thursday, Saturday and Sunday this week.

Blue Ridge Communications, meanwhile, has removed data caps for all speed levels for the next two months. It is also postponing its previously announced video price increase from April 1 to June 1.

Penn’s Peak has postponed all scheduled events through May 10. On Wednesday, the concert venue announced several dates for rescheduled performances.

New dates include The Mike Delguidice-Big Shot show on Aug. 22, Last in Line/Lynch Mob show on June 7, Clint Black on Aug. 15, Sara Evans on Aug. 28, and LiveWire (AC/DC tribute) on Aug. 29.

All tickets for the original dates will be good for the rescheduled performances. Refunds for these dates are available at point of purchase.