The recent storm that knocked out power across Maine has hit Bangor’s restaurants hard, causing them to close temporarily and suffer financial setbacks just days before Christmas. Many eateries in the city had to shut down early on Monday when the severe wind and rainstorm swept through the state, leaving thousands without electricity and causing flooding and road closures in many areas. Nearly all of Maine’s 16 counties have declared a state of emergency. Some, like Angelo’s Pizzeria, remained powerless and couldn’t reopen by Wednesday.
The storm left many of Bangor’s restaurants dealing with spoiled food and forced them to cancel shifts for kitchen and wait staff who depend on work during the holiday season. Every day a business stays closed represents a significant loss, and the week leading up to Christmas is crucial for families to come together and for employers to treat their workers to a nice meal, according to Bob Cutler, owner of Novio’s Bistro. He expressed his concern, saying that without power restoration soon, he won’t be able to bring in food for Thursday’s dinner service or open on Friday and Saturday.
Cutler estimated that his restaurant had to discard “several thousand dollars” worth of food to ensure customer safety. But that’s only a fraction of the financial hit restaurants take when they are forced to close. His team of seven full- and part-time employees lost out on valuable shifts during the closures on Tuesday and Wednesday, money they rely on for holiday shopping and providing for their loved ones.
“I’m trying to keep things in perspective and be patient,” Cutler said, acknowledging the thousands of Mainers still without power in their homes. “It’s not just about me and my business; there’s a greater community struggling.”
Losing a day of sales is unfortunate, both for businesses and their employees, but it’s a part of winter life in Maine, according to Charles Melino, general manager at Sea Dog Brewing Co. in Bangor. The establishment closed at 7 p.m. on Monday, remained closed on Tuesday, but reopened a few hours later than usual on Wednesday. They managed to minimize their losses by packing as much as possible into the freezer, maintaining safe temperatures for a day.
Timber Kitchen & Bar lost power on Monday afternoon but got it back late on Tuesday, thanks to the generator at the Residence Inn by Marriott, which kept their walk-in coolers running and their food safe. Judy’s on State Street didn’t lose power and remained busy. Geaghan’s Pub & Craft Brewery, which closed early on Monday and remained shut on Tuesday, was back to normal on Wednesday, though they had to scale back on specials due to some discarded inventory.
While it was an inconvenience for Geaghan’s Pub, owner Peter Geaghan was more concerned about his employees. He plans to offer extra hours, especially over the weekend, to make up for the closures.
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DISCLAIMER: Author is under many pen names. This article was rewritten based on these links: Spoiled food, canceled shifts: Bangor restaurants take a hit after the storm (bangordailynews.com)
