Update 3/30: ThinkFoodGroup announced via a press release that they will extend pay for all of its employees through at least April 12.

ThinkFoodGroup, the restaurant group founded by José Andrés, announced Sunday that it is closing all of its D.C.-area restaurants in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the restaurants will be converted into community kitchens, according to a release from the company, that will offer “affordable plates of the day” for takeout.

[For the latest updates on coronavirus in the D.C. area, see here.]

Participating restaurants include Oyamel, Zaytinya, and three D.C.-area Jaleo locations. Andrés’ New York market Mercado Little Spain will also operate a community kitchen. Restaurant employees will receive paid leave and health benefits “for at least the first two weeks,” according to a release.

The chef and humanitarian’s fast-casual chain Beefsteak, meanwhile, remains in operation but with delivery only. The D.C. food truck Pepe will remain in operation as usual.

“We are in a serious global emergency and people need to take every precaution, including staying home as much as possible,” Andrés said in the release. “However, we also want to help provide food for those who want it in a safe manner, so we feel these community kitchens can help during this challenging time. And those who cannot afford to pay we will welcome as well.”

The announcement came shortly before Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a notice to D.C. bars ordering them to suspend service at the bar and to standing patrons, and to arrange seating to keep patrons six feet apart, per the guidance of the D.C. Health department. Restaurants and bars are among the local businesses scrambling to abide by local regulations while staying afloat financially. Some have introduced delivery options and upped their cleaning efforts. ThinkFoodGroup spots are far from the only local businesses responding to the pandemic. Others, including Momofuku, Fiola, and others have announced they’re closing temporarily.

[For a full list of restaurants that are changing the way they operate, see here.]

The ThinkFoodGroup community kitchens will open on Tuesday. Here’s the status of the restaurants:

• America Eats Tavern, Georgetown: A community kitchen will operate from the back upstairs patio.
• China Chilcano, Penn Quarter: Due to the lack of outdoor space at the restaurant, a community kitchen will not be available.
• Jaleo, Bethesda: A community kitchen will operate from the side door.
• Jaleo, Crystal City: A community kitchen will operate from the side door.
• Jaleo, Penn Quarter: A community kitchen will operate from the side door.
• minibar and barmini, Penn Quarter: The restaurant and bar both closed following the end of service on March 14. A community kitchen will not be available. Guests with existing reservations will be contacted to rebook, and deposits will be refunded.
• Oyamel, Penn Quarter: A community kitchen will operate from the side door.
• Zaytinya, Penn Quarter: A community kitchen will operate from the side door.

Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen have served hundreds of thousands of meals to communities affected by natural disasters, including in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria and in California during the Camp Fire. Most recently, the group was feeding passengers and crew aboard a Japanese cruise ship quarantined amid a coronavirus outbreak. World Central Kitchen last conducted a community feeding in D.C. during the partial federal government shutdown in 2019, offering free meals to furloughed workers.