Downtown Boston Businesses Take A Hit Without Memorial Day Crowds
BOSTON (CBS) – Saturday's barren streets downtown are an eerie sight on what's supposed to be a bustling weekend in the city of Boston.
"It's a bit disheartening to go down the city and see places totally empty," said Ace Gershfield.
Coronavirus restrictions killed what would've been a three-day money-maker for Gershfield's company, 6one7 Productions. His crews would typically be busy running Memorial Day events high up on rooftops and along the Charles River. Without the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, his business, along with several venues, are taking a major hit.
"A venue itself, a 500 person venue could be missing out on 40-50,000 dollars just in the night time element for nightlife. Friday, Saturday, Sunday – so $150,000 each, especially on a long weekend like this," Gershfield said.
The economic impact is trickling down to restaurants, bars, hotels and retail stores that rely on the heavy foot traffic to make money, especially on the unofficial start to the summer.
While it'll likely be several months before bars and nightclubs can reopen, Gershfield said there is a silver lining for restaurants.
"To open up outdoor patios or utilizing parking spaces or even taking parts of streets over – they call them parklets. It's amazing," he said. "That's one of the exciting things to see."
Restaurants are included in Gov. Charlie Baker's Phase Two reopening plan, but he has yet to announce an official date for when that will take effect.