Patrons dine Tuesday at Legends Rest Taproom on the Westbrook River Walk. Legends has expanded its outdoor seating. Chance Viles / American Journal
WESTBROOK — Four more restaurants have joined the city’s outdoor dining program in hopes of increasing business during the coronavirus pandemic, but financial concerns remain.
“We are excited about this program, but there will be businesses continuing to struggle or shutter, and that’s hard to hear,” Economic Development Director Dan Stevenson said. “The best we can do is be proactive to the best of our ability.”
The program, which follows state guidelines on social distancing, allows restaurants to set up outdoor seating through an expedited permitting process.
But even with the new outdoor seating, restaurants are working with a fraction of the seating they normally have.
Istanbul Restaurant and Bakery downtown closed after dine-in service was suspended, but is now offering takeout and outdoor dining service following city approval.
The city has also made common dining space available off Vallee Square. Chance Viles / American Journal
“We put so much money into this and haven’t made that back yet. Now, things are starting to go back to normal and we are hoping things progress and are trying to support our community back as much as we can,” said Sarem Al-Shawk, co-owner of the restaurant that opened last October.
Early on in the pandemic shutdown Al-Shawk and his family considered getting a loan to pay the restaurant’s rent, but without knowing if they’d ever make the money to pay back the loan, they opted not to.
“The city has been great with helping us, though, and this program had fast turnaround,” Al-Shawk said.
Istanbul is among seven other restaurants using the program. Others are Legends Rest Taproom, Frog and Turtle, Fajita Grill, Big Fin Poké, Profenno’s Pizzeria Bar & Grill, Stockhouse Restaurant and Portland Pie Co., all downtown.
Frog and Turtle chef and co-owner James Tranchemontagne said it has been “awesome” to serve outside “dine-in” customers. The restaurant had been serving to-go meals before reopening outside.
“We were never a takeout restaurant and for us to figure out takeout was a learning curve,” he said. “As a chef I want the food to be on a plate and not a to-go box, it’s totally different.”
Restaurants had been scheduled to reopen indoor seating June 1, but Gov. Janet Mills postponed indoor dining in Cumberland, York and Androscoggin counties a few days before that could happen. A new date for that reopening has not been set.
“We have since been working with our state representative (Drew Gattine) to figure that out,” said Frog and Turtle co-owner Guy Cote.
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