How Are Businesses Near Campus Faring in the Pandemic?
How Are Businesses Near Campus Faring in the Pandemic?
How Are Businesses Near Campus Faring in the Pandemic?
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck Boston last March, restaurants and shops around the city had to shut their doors temporarily. Now, eight months in, many have been forced to close permanently. Boston alone has lost more than 70 restaurants, and that number is expected to climb sharply as the cold-weather months make outdoor dining impossible and mandatory 9:30 pm closings curtail business even further.
The same has been true for mom-and pop businesses and restaurants adjacent to BU, which depend on the University’s students, faculty, and staff to stay afloat. When BU had to send students home last March in response to the pandemic, most of the foot traffic that those businesses depend on to survive came to a halt overnight. And while many have since reopened, some, like Kenmore Square stalwarts Eastern Standard and Island Creek Oyster Bar, remain closed. Many of those that have reopened continue to face serious challenges.
How are they faring? We interviewed the managers or owners of four businesses on or near campus: Landry’s Bicycles, video game café Balance Patch, and T. Anthony’s Pizzeria—all in West Campus—and Cornwall’s Pub in Kenmore Square and asked them to talk about how they’ve had to adapt in the face of the ongoing pandemic. Take a look.
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