Countdown to McDonald's, barista-made coffee and takeaways

Many businesses are champing at the bit to partially reopen to the public from tomorrow.

Most of New Zealand, including Christchurch, will shift from alert level 4 to level 3 - which means slightly looser rules around what people can and can't purchase - from 11.59pm tonight.

Uber Eats, and items like barista-made coffees and takeaways, will all become available when the clock strikes midnight, but when will businesses be ready?

Cafes and restaurants appear to be planning staggered openings throughout Wednesday, while some petrol stations may be serving coffee from midnight.

BP remained tight-lipped about when they might begin selling coffee, with a spokesperson saying they did not have an update at this stage.

Uber Eats will be up and running on Wednesday with a spokesperson telling the Herald they're ready to go for contactless deliveries.

McDonald's restaurants will not be opening as soon as the alert level shifts at midnight, but will re-start throughout the day. Times will vary depending on gaining access and deliveries.

A restricted menu will be in place initially.

Eighty-five restaurants will be reopening under the restrictions. They will have drive-through and, where available, McDelivery.

At Mitre 10, a wider product range will be available for online order for regions at alert level 3 only.

Customers will be able to choose between contactless click & collect, with managed time slots for pick up, and delivery.

Trade customers may be permitted managed access to trade drive-thru areas along with contactless Click & Collect or delivery to the site.

The Riverside Market in Christchurch is also gearing up for the alert level shift, developer Mike Percasky tsaid they have been busy preparing today.

"We are doing a bit of a clean, putting up the signage and making sure we are ticking all the boxes for the opening tomorrow."

He said level 3 is still a difficult situation for restaurants to be in and predicts their trade is about 20 per cent of what it would normally be.

"They're lucky to break even in level 3. I think we absolutely should be going lower. This particular variant has an incubation period of about four days so it's very obvious it's not in the south island.

"I've got no clue why we aren't dropping down to level 2," he said.

Tuck, which stands for Tuam Street Cloud Kitchen, is a complex in the Christchurch CBD that houses kitchens for businesses to use to help with home delivery services or extra prep space.

It was all go on Tuesday making sure restaurants are ready to go.

Butcheries are also preparing for the reopening, Christchurch-based Peter Timbs Meats says it will be using a click and collect type ordering system as well as over-the-counter contactless payment with a limited number of customers in-store at a time.

"We of course have strict hygiene standards that we can replicate for customers, such as hand sanitiser and bench sanitiser as required, while also using the serve-over shield between customers that we had prepared last year at level 3," a spokesperson said.

Only the store in Edgeware will be open, the Bishopdale store will remain closed.

The company's online delivery system will continue to operate.

"Being a community-based store, most customers are on a first-name basis. We are very keen to get back to serving the community and great Christchurch region, as well as helping our suppliers be another avenue for sale, which then helps our farmers shift their livestock, and the flow-on effect continues."