There's nothing like winter in New England. But for restaurants trying to break even in the pandemic, the cold, wintery weather is a lot less quaint.
Tony Maws, chef and owner of Cambridge's Craigie on Main, said he was grateful for the opportunity to host outdoor dining, particularly when it allowed him and his staff to re-connect with patrons. But he called it a bandaid, saying he sometimes made roughly 25% of what he normally would bring in.
Maws and other owners in the gourp Mass Restaurants United do see some hope at the end of this long tunnel: Earlier this week, the state House and Senate passed an economic development bill that contains roughly $20 million in aid for struggling restaurants, plus a cap on what third-party delivery sites like GrubHub and UberEats can charge restaurants. The legislation awaits Gov. Charlie Baker's signature.
Even with this support, and potentially more federal aid coming from an upcoming Biden administration, Maws said that restaurants still need the help of patrons.
"We are here for you," he said. "The independent restaurants have always been there for the communities. We're the places you've gone to celebrate, even to mourn. And we will continue to be here to support you, but the way we will continue to be here is through your support."
After speaking with Maws, we took an in-depth look at how drive-through COVID-19 testing works, how it's adapting for the winter and the mostly untold challenges faced by the army of individuals performing all those coronavirus tests. To get more insight on that, we spoke with two experts from Cambridge Health Alliance — Heather Bogrett, the director of ambulatory nursing, and Christian Lanphere, director of emergency management and safety officer.
Click on the audio player above to listen to the full episode.
Segments:
Heather Bogrett and Christian Lanphere - 2:25
Tony Maws - 20:55
