Restaurants, Bars Giving Away Toilet Paper Rolls With Takeout Orders

CAMBRIDGE, Minn. (CBS Local) -- Some restaurants and bars are cashing in on the national frenzy to hoard toilet paper amid the coronavirus outbreak by offering free rolls with takeout orders.

While there is no national shortage of toilet paper, the COVID-19 pandemic has inspired "panic" buying, making it difficult for retailers to keep shelves stocked.

That's provided an opportunity for some restaurants and bars that are losing significant sales after closing off dining areas to comply with health orders aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus.

On Tuesday, the Cambridge Bar and Grill in Cambridge, Minnesota, announced on Facebook that any "to go order" over $25 comes with a free roll of toilet paper.

"Let me tell you does that put a smile on a customers face!" the post reads.

A bar in Phoenix, Arizona, is also offering a complimentary roll of toilet paper with deliveries within a five-mile radius, while supplies last.

Jeremiah Gratz, who owns Thunderbird Lounge in the Melrose District, says he wants to make sure his staff stays employed and pay their bills during this difficult time.

"It's a very somber situation that a lot of people are in right now," he told KSAZ. "We're just trying to make the best out of it, any way we can."

And in Norfolk, Virginia, the Handsome Biscuit restaurant is offering a free roll of toilet paper with each takeout order.

"Because we can't do anything without being a little weird, the first 100 orders get a free roll of toilet paper. We had some extra and thought we should spread the love," the restaurant posted on Facebook.