'We're Hiring': Businesses Near Boston Sports Venues Gear Up To Welcome Fans Back
BOSTON (CBS) - Neighborhoods surrounding Boston's iconic parks, courts, and stadiums are gearing up for a soft reopening. Just in time for the Red Sox opening day, Governor Baker has given the go ahead for fans in major sports venues at 12% capacity.
"It's sad to me to see so many places closed," said Peg Nylen as she walked out of the Fenway vaccination site. "That's what hit me when I came out the door. I thought, wow, it was always so busy, so many people."
Many pubs around Fenway and the Garden have been closed for months. The Fours, an iconic sports bar, shut down permanently. But businesses are hoping the return of fans combined with eased restrictions on restaurants, will give the neighborhoods a so-called shot in the arm.
"We can recover. We just have to keep our head, down and keep working, and remain optimistic," said Joe Hicks, manager of the Bleacher Bar.
Across Lansdowne Street, the Cask 'n Flagon has been in hibernation for the winter. "At ten o'clock on a Friday night, just nobody in the neighborhood for months and months at a time, is just difficult to see," said owner Dana Van Fleet. "It's good to see the daylight at the end of the tunnel…Anybody looking for a job, give us a call because we're opening March 19 and we're hiring."
