Outdoor eating may have been rained out this weekend, but restaurants and other businesses were able to operate at full capacity. Many saw long waits and packed dining rooms.
“The rain keeps people away from the beach, cancels barbecues, brings people into town so it has been really good," said Gabrielle Zelepos, a manager at Mystic Pizza.
The restaurant in downtown Mystic reported a steady wait all day. They made more than 2,000 pizzas on Friday and Saturday alone.
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Zelepos said that they have noticed a lot more traffic in recent weeks. She believes people feel safer and are venturing out more.
“Crazy busy. We are really thankful that our staff has been able to handle it. We have done an incredible volume," said Zelepos.
Local shops in downtown Mystic also benefited from the rain. The team at Bank Square Books in Mystic said they were also busy Sunday.
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“Because it’s not really beach weather, people are coming into the book store and we are getting a lot of foot traffic," said Dakota Gates, who works at the store.
While the rain was driving more people to Mystic, Abbott's Lobsters in Noank saw a slower holiday weekend.
The last weekend in May usually kicks off their summer season with long lines wrapping to the driveway. This year was more quiet, but people did still venture out. The team was thankful to be able to offer some indoor dining.
“It has helped us a lot because now we have unlimited seating capacity inside. And obviously we need that this weekend," said Deirdre Mears, co-owner of Abbott's.
