Bars and restaurants will get a little help before summer.
On May 29, Massachusetts people no longer have to order food when ordering an alcoholic beverage. Table sizes and capacity limits are also increased.
That’s good news for an industry hit by the pandemic, said Jody Adams, founding member of Massachusetts Restaurants United advocacy group.
Adams, who is also the chef / owner of a handful of Boston restaurants, said recent reports indicate that at least 25% of restaurants closed during the pandemic. Others who were able to keep their doors open turned sharply and found new ways to meet state health regulations and stay open. All in all, Adams believes people are ready to go back to their favorite places.
“Restaurants are beautiful places where fabulous things happen,” said Adams. “And we missed that so much. We missed all of the amazing connections we make with employees, you know, [that] Customers mess with servers or the person they see cooking behind the line that they see every Thursday night when they walk in. Everyone has missed this incredible community that restaurants offer. I’m really excited about the summer and the things that are opening up and that people are responsible and careful about how they go about it. “
We also got in touch with Mimi Loureiro, the founder of O2 Yoga in Somerville. The studio is preparing to welcome fully vaccinated students back in June. But Loureiro said she and her staff are still trying to figure out what “normal” will look like if the state opens wider.
Click the audio player above to listen to the entire episode.
Segments:
Mike Deehan – 2:27
Mimi Loureiro – 7:58
Jody Adams – 18:56
