The storm that caused widespread power outages across Maine this week took a toll on restaurants in Bangor, forcing temporary closures and financial losses just days before Christmas.
Many of the city’s eateries closed early after losing power Monday, when the destructive wind and rainstorm rocked the state, leaving thousands without power and many areas flooded or cut off from main roads. All but two of Maine’s 16 counties are under a state of emergency.
Some places, like Angelo’s Pizzeria, remained without power Wednesday and could not reopen.
Many of Bangor’s restaurants touched by the storm dealt with spoiled food and called off shifts for kitchen and wait staff who rely on work during the holiday season.
Each day that a business is closed is a significant loss, and “the week before Christmas is one of the premier weeks of the year” for families to gather and employers to treat their workers to a nice meal, said Bob Cutler, who owns Novio’s Bistro.
“If we don’t have power by 2:30 [p.m.] today, I won’t be able to bring food in for dinner service on Thursday,” he said early Wednesday. “And if we don’t have power by 2:30 [p.m.] on Thursday, I won’t be able to open Friday or Saturday.”
Cutler estimated that his restaurant, which is only open for dinner, threw away “several thousand dollars” worth of food because it could not risk the health of patrons. That is only a small part of the hit that restaurants take when they are forced to close, he said.
His team of seven full and part-time employees lost valuable shifts during closures Tuesday and Wednesday. People rely on that money to shop and provide for their loved ones during the holidays, he said.
“I’m trying to put everything into perspective and be patient,” he said, noting the thousands of Mainers still without power at their homes. “It’s not just about me and my business. There is a greater community that is struggling.”
Losing a day of sales is unfortunate for businesses and their employees, but it’s also part of winter in Maine, said Charles Melino, general manager at Sea Dog Brewing Co. in Bangor.
The business closed at 7 p.m. Monday and remained closed Tuesday, but it reopened at 2 p.m. Wednesday, a few hours later than usual.
“We packed as much as we could into the freezer, which held temperatures for a day,” he said. “We mitigated our losses that way.”
Timber Kitchen & Bar lost power around 3:30 p.m. Monday and regained it late Tuesday. The restaurant at the Residence Inn by Marriott is lucky that the hotel has a generator that powers its walk-in coolers, which kept food safe during the power outage, general manager Suzanne Fletcher said.
Eateries like Judy’s on State Street did not lose power and remained busy this week, said an employee who answered the phone Wednesday.
Geaghan’s Pub & Craft Brewery, which closed around 4:15 p.m. Monday and remained closed Tuesday, was back to normal on Wednesday, though it was sparse on specials because some inventory was discarded.
The restaurant monitored its larger refrigeration system, ensuring that temperatures remained safe for storing food. But roughly $1,000 in meat, seafood and some produce in the small refrigerators had to be thrown out, which owner Peter Geaghan does not consider a tremendous loss.
“It was an inconvenience for us to be closed on the business end,” he said. “For the employees, we’re going to try to do what we can to get extra hours, especially this weekend. I’m more upset about that.”
