'Restaurants Are Not The Problem': New MA Curfew Reaction
PEABODY, MA — The past eight months have taught Champions Pub co-owner Kevin Houlden to be prepared for anything.
When an October snowfall and frigid weekend this weekend shut down what had been a sprawling and successful patio dining season, he was happy that those who had been spending much of their time outside at the Peabody establishment decided to give inside dining a shot.
When Gov. Charlie Baker announced Monday that all restaurants in the state will have to close at 9:30 p.m. starting Friday as part of his stay-at-home advisory amid a rise in coronavirus cases, Houlden's feeling was more along the lines that it could have been worse.
"I figured it was going to be some type of restrictions," Houlden told Patch. "The tricky thing is if they shut down indoor dining entirely, and go back to 100 percent takeout, and go back to curbside, then you have to cut staff and reduce hours.
"That isn't good for anybody."
For Houlden, the curfew will only be a half-hour earlier than its current closure time since the restaurant reopened to indoor and outdoor dining this summer. Champions never went back to the "Open till 12:30 Daily" hours that still hold a nostalgic standing on its website, and has closed at 10 p.m., shortly after the kitchen closes.
But for other restaurants — and bars transformed into restaurants — the curfew will further hamper businesses that have been hit hard throughout the pandemic, with shifting restrictions on hours, capacity and what type of food people need to get to order alcohol.
"Restaurants are not the problem," Steve Clark, Massachusetts Restaurant Association Director of Government Affairs, told Patch Monday afternoon. "We appreciate (Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito) once again stating that tracing and inspections clearly point out restaurants are not the cause of the spike. Restaurants continue to (have) frequent inspections, and these inspections show that operators or taking protocols seriously."
Clark said that closing down restaurants — where friends can meet for a meal and some social interaction — at 9:30 p.m. could lead to more of the informal hangouts Baker said are at the root of the recent spike.
"Shutting restaurants early does not stop people from gathering," Clark said. "However, if people continue to gather unregulated in homes and elsewhere, it easily allows people to avoid the mandated and supervised safety steps, including distancing, mask-wearing and frequent use of sanitizer that occurs in restaurants."
The turn in the weather, change in the clocks and new early closings are bringing home the realization that making a restaurant viable through the late fall and winter could be much more challenging than it was in the summer and early fall.
Salem last week distributed outdoor heaters to several downtown restaurants — while agreeing to reimburse the purchase of up to four heaters per establishment — in hopes of extending the outdoor dining season. Houlden said he bought eight for his patio.
"You would have to put one at each of the table," Houlden said. "We would only be able to have four tables outside."
While Champions put plexiglass between each of the indoor tables to follow state distancing guidelines, Houlden said without the outdoor seating, Champions faces a winter of a 42-person capacity compared to the pre-pandemic capacity in the 80s.
"People are being very respectful of the mandates," he said. "We don't let them walk around. You set the precedent right away when they come in and they understand.
"They are just looking for a place to sit together and talk."
More Patch Coverage: Salem To Distribute Outdoor Heaters To Local Businesses
Business Curfews, Mask Mandate Among Sweeping New MA Restrictions
This article originally appeared on the Peabody Patch
