Massachusetts Restaurants Struggle Still Not Knowing When They Can Reopen
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's going to be a bit longer before dining rooms reopen in Massachusetts, possibly three weeks or more. At Fenway Johnnie's, the bar tops are empty, but the bills are piling up.
The most nerve-wracking part for restaurant owners is the uncertainty of when businesses do get the green light to open. And for a bar and restaurant like Fenway Johnnie's that usually has a line around the corner, how will they navigate operating at a much lower capacity?
"I'm not going to open with 25 people," said Fenway Johnnie's owner John Caron. "To invite employees back to make $50 when they're on unemployment – it doesn't make sense. It's not fair."
Caron is echoing the call from the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, demanding Gov. Charlie Baker set a hard date and guidelines.
While Caron is eager to reopen now, Legal Sea Foods Owner Roger Berkowitz believes we should wait it out.
"We can't plan in finite detail until we see the numbers come down and it's safe to do so," he said.
But even when restaurants do reopen, the dining experience will likely be a lot different.
"It might be a more streamlined menu," Berkowitz said. "It might be a service and food experience -- instead of being an hour, an hour and forty-five minutes, it might be half of that."
But Caron is waiting on more than just an opening date, as his businesses rely heavily on sporting events and foot traffic.
"Without employees in the neighborhood, without the fans, without the tourists, without the students – it doesn't leave much hope," he said.