The Town of Putnam is taking down concrete barriers that were put into place for temporary outdoor dining amid the pandemic, according to Mayor Barney Seney.
Barriers will be removed, weather dependent, between Nov. 2 and Nov. 6. The town provided the barriers in May, blocking off parking spots on Main Street, in order to accommodate restaurants that did not have outdoor dining.
"We have had a lot of success with it through out the whole summer," said Sheila Frost, co-owner of Courthouse Bar and Grille.
Frost said that she cannot imagine what the summer would have looked like if they did not have the outdoor dining option.
"It would have been financially devastating," said Frost.
Seney said that the outdoor dining was a success.
"It supported our community and the workers in our community. It was the best thing we ever done," said Seney.
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Frost said that her team has anticipated that the barriers would be removed for the winter months.
“I think we are all kind of just seasonally moving in the direction of we know it is time," said Frost.
Under Phase 3, Courthouse will be able to operate at 75% capacity. The restaurant is waiting on plexiglass to arrive in the mail for booths and the bar. Frost said that they are lucky that they have a good setup. They are also getting ready to focus on take-out orders.
"We are ready. We are ready to ramp up on the take out," said Frost. "We are doing great with it and we have a great game plan to get us through the winter.”
The team is optimistic, heading into the winter months, as the outdoor dining goes away. But they also hope the outdoor dining does not stay away for good.
