SMITHFIELD, Va. - Seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic and The Cockeyed Rooster Cafe is still ready to go first thing every morning, freshly squeezing countless oranges to fill orange juice orders.
The popular breakfast, brunch and lunch spot on Benns Church Blvd. added dinner options in the last few months, expanding its hours into the evening on some days.
It's a far cry from when News 3 first visited in May.
Customers couldn't dine in at the time. The family-owned restaurant had added a drive-thru smoothie bar to make ends meet.
"We've been trying our best to help out the community. We've been doing a lot of food donations," Co-owner Michael Christou said of the Cockeyed Rooster's efforts to send meals to nurses, nursing homes and first responders.
Since May, the restaurant has exited the drive-thru smoothie biz and returned to its old ways with some tables not in use because of social distancing rules.
Popular menu items in the morning include Apple Cobbler French Toast and the Chicken Fajita Omelette. When the doors open at 8 a.m., there are usually customers waiting, Christou told News 3 on Tuesday.
"We got a great, great crowd in Smithfield. We got a lot of support from the community so we've bounced back a lot better than we thought we would and we're really thankful for that. We're trying to keep new ideas flowing and shirts and merchandise," he said.
The Cockeyed Rooster Cafe is open every day. Hours vary from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday through Wednesday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
