The Taste of Maine restaurant in Woolwich announced it will close early for the season due to COVID-19. The business made the announcement in a Facebook post on Saturday. Darcie Moore / The Times Record
WOOLWICH — Taste of Maine, a popular seafood restaurant on Route 1 in Woolwich, announced it has closed early for the season due to COVID-19.
“Tonight without hesitation is very emotional,” the business wrote on Facebook Saturday. “We are closing for the season due to you COVID-19. We have done everything we were told to do to keep everyone safe and more.”
The post said the business will reopen in the spring, but does not list a date.
The post did not specify why the restaurant was closing, other than it was in relation to the current pandemic.
Candy Gregory, Taste of Maine co-owner, declined to comment Tuesday on why the restaurant closed early.
The business previously closed for two weeks in August after learning someone who had been in the restaurant tested positive for COVID-19.
Robert Long, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman, said the department hasn’t opened an outbreak investigation connected to the restaurant.
Woolwich Selectman Jason Shaw said local restaurants have worked hard to follow state and Maine CDC guidelines in order to remain open and keep staff and patrons safe. However, he said following those guidelines hinders how much revenue a business can bring in.
“You used to be able to fit a few hundred people in the Taste of Maine’s banquet room, but when you can only have 50 people in a room together, that cuts into a restaurant’s revenue,” said Shaw. “The Taste of Maine could do proms, weddings, holiday parties and that sort of thing, but you just can’t do that this year. Think of all the things that have been canceled this year.”
Wayne Wescott, owner of the Montsweag Farm Restaurant in Woolwich, said he has struggled to bring in revenue while following Maine CDC guidelines.
“We have to put safety first no matter, but it’s stressful because our revenue is down but our expenses are up,” said Wescott. “You only make money in the restaurant business when you reach 70% occupancy.”
Wescott said he’s allowed to seat patrons at six tables, though his restaurant can fit 18.
“We’re still making payroll and paying our bills, but we’re not making money,” he said. “I feel sometimes my heart is going to jump out of my chest and sometimes I want to crawl under a rock.”
The Maine CDC advises restaurants to require employees and patrons to wear a face covering except when eating to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19. Frequent hand washing, disinfecting surfaces like doorknobs, and maintaining a 6-foot distance from others is also recommended.
Woolwich does not have any local COVID-19 restrictions or guidelines for restaurants beyond what the Maine CDC has set, according to Candace Conrad, Woolwich deputy town clerk.
Woolwich, with a population of 3,230, has seen just nine COVID-19 cases since the pandemic reached Maine in March, but statewide COVID-19 cases have continued to rise throughout November.
On Tuesday, the state reported 219 new cases of COVID-19, continuing a trend in which the daily new case count has regularly exceeded 200 since the pandemic deepened in November, the Portland Press Herald reported. Maine’s seven-day average of daily new cases was 168.9, compared to 207.3 a week ago and 73.6 a month ago.
As of Tuesday, 11,976 Mainers have tested positive for COVID-19. Of those, 9,364 have recovered, but 214 have died, according to the Maine CDC.
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
