As the effort to stem the coronavirus pandemic continues, many waitstaff, cooks and bartenders in Massachusetts lost their jobs almost overnight this week, asGovernor Charlie Baker ordered restaurants to close their dining rooms.
Some are shutting down completely, but others are trying to survive through takeout and delivery.
On Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day, Brad's Place, a family-run luncheonette in downtown Greenfield, had a steady stream of customers picking up their orders. They stood with some distance between them, adjacent to a long lunch counter with empty stools.
Many are cautious about doing too much in public because of the coronavirus, but Kate Devlin said she had to pop in for one thing in particular.
"I forgot to buy corned beef [and] cabbage when I was shopping," Devlin said.
That's what her parents want for dinner. They're 80 years old, Devlin said, and she'd rather run the errand than risk letting them go out in public.
The corned beef and cabbage here is famous, according to Sarah Devine, running things behind the counter. With online orders, they were sold out of the traditional Irish dish by 9 a.m. But the hustle and bustle may be a one-time thing.
"I think today is going to be our peak for the entire closure," Devine said. "I would not be surprised if tomorrow it’s maybe half, if not less."
The Greenfield District Court the next block over is closed because of the pandemic. So is the YMCA, and many storefronts in town.
Brad’s Place owner Daniel Devine (Sarah’s father and the one responsible for cooking up all that corned beef) is hopeful they can stay open. But if it gets too slow, he said, they will shut down.
His supplier, though, told him not to expect any problems with delivery.
"It's easier to get food than paper products," Devine joked.
A few blocks away at The Hangar Pub and Grill, some customers picked up their chicken wing orders. It was mostly quiet; the seating area of the restaurant was blocked off. Usually, manager Michael Stone said, this is a popular sports bar.
"I heard someone mention earlier, 'No Bruins! No Celtics! The Red Sox are delayed! And now this...'" Stone said, referring to the day’s news that beloved Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is leaving New England.
There would have been a lot of sports talk at the bar if they weren't shut down by a pandemic, Stone said.
"[Customers would be] wondering, 'Where do we go from here?' And similarly, in our own restaurant, 'Where do we go from here?'" he said. "The landscape has changed."
The western Massachusetts chain has six restaurants. Stone estimates about half of their more than 300 employees were laid off Monday. It was a day of phone calls, emails and a lot of text messages, he said.
A scene no doubt repeated this week in restaurants and other businesses around the country.
