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A Fishtown grocer photographed hundreds of items to help customers during the coronavirus pandemic

Now, “a lot of people notice we are still open,” the owner said. “Business doesn’t compare to" prepandemic levels, "but it helps.”

Cecilia Chan poses with the photo boards she made at D & C Grocery. Since the coronavirus outbreak, customers cannot enter the store. Chan wanted to make it easier on customers and decided to photograph the items for sale inside the shop. All transactions are done through the window.
Cecilia Chan poses with the photo boards she made at D & C Grocery. Since the coronavirus outbreak, customers cannot enter the store. Chan wanted to make it easier on customers and decided to photograph the items for sale inside the shop. All transactions are done through the window.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer

People kept passing by the Fishtown corner store, unaware the family-run grocer remained open during the coronavirus shutdown.

So earlier this month, Dennis Chi and his wife, Cecilia Chan, photographed more than a hundred items inside their store, D&C Grocery, and placed the images outside to serve as a kind of visual menu.

Patrons can “browse” a wide variety of items — frozen pizzas, Oreo cookies, pasta sauces, canned soups, energy drinks, even cleaning supplies, and toiletries — and order through a takeout window. They’re all pictured in color on large boards that are propped up on the sidewalk.

Now, “a lot of people notice we are still open,” Chi said. “Business doesn’t compare" to prepandemic levels, "but it helps.”

The signs got even more attention over the weekend when they caught the eye of author Emily Guendelsberger. On Sunday, she tweeted pictures of D&C’s innovation. More than 30,000 people retweeted and liked the post.

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The creativity is just the latest way an essential Philadelphia-area business has tried to protect customers and employees while making ends meet during the pandemic.

Grocery stores have limited customer capacity, implemented one-way aisles, taken extra measures to disinfect carts, and ramped up delivery.

A Northern Liberties restaurant owner takes reservations for a virtual dining experience. Farmers markets are requiring customers to order in advance. Some restaurants are even selling grocery items, including eggs, milk, and toilet paper.

» READ MORE: Pa. grocery workers finally get the COVID-19 protection they deserve from entitled shoppers | Maria Panaritis

At his Fishtown market, Chi was pleasantly surprised to hear his store’s signs had garnered social media attention.

“That’s what I like to see," he said. "It’s for the neighbors’ good.”

When the store opened at 9 a.m. Monday, his wife donned a panda face mask and carried the posters outside under a cloudy city sky. Within minutes, a man walked up to the window to make a purchase.

The family, which has owned D&C for seven years, said Chan initially took broader photographs of shelves and aisles, but then realized it was difficult for customers to see which individual items were offered. The closer shots work much better, they said, and customers seem grateful their socially distant shopping experience has been made easier.

» ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters.

The store plans to remain open for the duration of the crisis, Chi said. But it has cut back on hours, operating only from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Staff photographer David Maialetti contributed to this article.