Local restaurants suffering as COVID-19 leads to more people social distancing

BOSTON — As so many are choosing to stay home amid the COVID-19 outbreak, businesses are suffering, including local restaurants.

Those local restaurant owners are even seeing reservations cancel left and right. Some owners met Friday to discuss their options with business very slow. The conclusion they came to: that they need to see how the weekend goes and wait it out a little longer. How long the slowdown in business will last, no one knows.

“It could be a huge blow,” said Kristen Valachovic, the owner of Vee Vee. “The uncertainty is the thing. Is it going to be two weeks? Four weeks? A month?”

Valachovic got into the restaurant business to bring people together. But as the coronavirus outbreak continues and officials are urging the public to avoid close gatherings, many tables at Vee Vee in Jamaica Plain have been empty. Business has slowed to about half.

“We’ve had a lot of cancellations,” Valachovic said. “Larger parties especially don’t want to go out.”

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While stepping up already high cleaning and sanitizing efforts, Valachovic knows it’s not just her business that’s at stake.

“We have staff that rely on us for paychecks and vendors that rely on us to pay them for goods,” she said.

“It’s the great unknown, right?” asked Jason Waddleton, the owner of The Haven. “I mean, you just have to be prepared for it.”

Waddleton is seeing a similar drop in business at his JP-based Scottish restaurant and pub, The Haven.

“People are looking for a bit more distance, so that’s going to be a natural thing anyway,” he said. “There will be a bit more distance between tables and customers.”

He's reassuring diners they can feel safe there.

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“It’s good for mental health, I think,” Waddleton said. “People do need to get out. You can’t necessarily just stay home all the time.”

But Waddleton reminds customers, take-out is always an option, as well as gift cards for a later date. And those are something Vee Vee diners are buying up with special messages included.

By Friday night, several tables had been taken by some regulars, not only to enjoy the food but support the business.

“I’m doing social distancing, I’m washing my hands, I’m totally safe,” said Lila Austin, a diner. “I want our local businesses to stay in business.

“They’re dear friends of ours, and we want to support them, and we don’t want to see their business suffer. I think everybody wants us all to be here when this is over.”

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