NH Restaurant Owners Getting Creative with Re-opening Plans

Local Somersworth restaurant owner Albert Lavalley, owner of Old Rail Pizza, Co. is getting creative with his reopening plans.  While Lavelley reports to fosters.com that he currently does not have outdoor seating, he is working with local officials on creating some safe outdoor seating in front of the unit where he operates Old Rail Pizza, Co.  Lavalley says, “People have been cooped up for the last two months.  There’s just a lot of moving parts to get outdoor seating ready.  But I think the demand will be tremendous.

Restaurants in New Hampshire will begin offering outdoor service due to the lifting of restrictions that were put in place due to COVID-19 by Gov. Chris Sununu.  For the past couple of months, those restaurants have only been permitted to offer takeout or curbside pickup and delivery.  The Gov. new plan will allow restaurants to offer outdoor dining, but the tables must be six feet apart and there cannot be more than six people at a table. This is an advantage to the restaurants that have traditionally operated an outdoor dining area, but a challenge to those who have not.

The economic development manager for the city of Somersworth Robin Comstock is working hard to ensure that local restaurants can make safe accommodations for outdoor dining, even if they have not offered it before.  In order to create a new outdoor dining area, restaurants must file a permit according to fosters.com.  That has left some restaurant owners scrambling to come up with plans which means not all establishments will be ready by the May 18^th reopening plan.  Fear not.  Restaurant owners are working hard on repurposing space that was formerly used for parking but the permit process, and I’m sure finding the physical tables such as picnic benches, will be a challenge that local restaurateurs will rise to.  There is a pent-up demand to get out and back to normal.  It’s nice to see the community officials working with local restaurants to ensure all our safety.