The reluctant carryout chef: Rick Bayless had little use for takeout, until it became his only option
CHICAGO — If any group of restaurants were equipped to handle a pandemic-fueled crisis like the one facing the world today, one might guess that Rick Bayless' Frontera group might qualify.
Winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, recipient of Michelin-star designations, Bayless' restaurants have been blessed with success, every new concept seemingly fully realized from its opening day and instantly popular.
When the first order shuttering restaurants came down in March, there wasn't immediate panic.
"We paid our staff for the whole time; we just told them that we'd cover it," Bayless said. "But then the two weeks turned into six, and we had to furlough everybody but management staff and some of our hourly workers. All of management started doing the hourly jobs,
