BOSTON — Restaurants are juggling new protocols now in place across the state as Governor Charlie Baker’s new COVID-19 safety measures went into effect Friday morning.
Their customers will now have a 9:30 p.m last call and the restaurant will have to be cleared by 10 p.m.
“Rush time, everyone going to be rushed," said Buff’s Pub owner Wallace Nogueira. “Gonna be coming here and looking at menu and place the order as quick as possible.”
[ Tougher pandemic restrictions take effect in Massachusetts ]
Baker’s emergency order now has restaurants wrapping up their night by 10 p.m. since kitchens and bars will have to close by 9:30 p.m.
“You’re losing tens of thousands of dollars a month," said Chef Mike’s Cucina owner, Michael Fucci. “That third seating is...I can’t even explain how important that is for a restaurant.”
Restaurants across the state are worried the early closing times will have a negative effect on their businesses, which have already suffered throughout months of pandemic closures and restrictions.
“We are doing everything to try to survive and it is just one more thing, one more challenge for us but we’ll see what happens," said Nogueira.
Baker’s office told Boston 25 on Friday that even with the new mask order requiring people to wear a mask in public, if you are seated at a restaurant you can still take it off while you are at the table.
The Massachusetts Restaurant Association has officially asked the governor to allow restaurants to stay open until 11 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, but are still waiting for a response.
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