Portsmouth's Striker Restaurant To Close After 50 Years
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (CBS) - The Striker has been a staple of Portsmouth for nearly 50 years.
"It's amazing to meet people who are in their 80s and they say, 'Oh, I met my wife here 40 years ago,'" said Daniel Wright, co-owner of the restaurant.
After countless memories, The Striker will be shutting its doors. The announcement was made on the restaurant's Facebook page on Tuesday. It reads in part, "We did not receive the federal relief grant from this last stimulus package set aside for restaurants. The funds were dispensed before our turn in line."
"The reality is, it boils down to dollars and cents. And we did everything we could to last through this pandemic. We're down to the last PPP funds, and we haven't received the federal restaurant grant," said Wright.
"There's been a huge outreach from the community. You almost don't realize how much of an impact you have on the community until something like this happens and it makes it very clear how important we were," said Chris MacDonald, co-owner of The Striker.
"It breaks our heart because we know this is an institution of Portsmouth. We've provided meals, drinks and live entertainment for the community since 1974. So to see the outpouring of love and support from the community, it brings a tear, honestly, to all of our eyes," said Wright.
As of now, Saturday night will be the last time The Striker will be open for business, but the restaurant's owners are holding out hope this weekend is not the end of the road.
"There's always hope. There's always a possibility. We're going to fight this and go as hard as we can until we can't," said MacDonald.
