For the first time since 2019, which feels like longer than three years ago, restaurant week is back for the greater Seacoast area of New Hampshire and Maine.
NH Business Review
‘The money will keep us going,’ says one owner
May 10, 2021
‘Like all restaurants, we’ve been dramatically affected,’ says Nini Idnani, owner of Raleigh Wine Bar + Eatery in Portsmouth.
After the pandemic hit last year, Raleigh Wine Bar + Eatery in Portsmouth shut down for nearly the entire spring. The restaurant decided to hibernate in the winter and closed its doors during January, February and part of March this year. To help offset lost revenue, the restaurant applied to receive funds from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a $28.6 billion federal aid program.
“Like all restaurants, we’ve been dramatically affected,” said Nimi Idnani, owner of Raleigh Wine Bar + Eatery. The restaurant plans to use the funds to pay salaries and expand outdoor dining –something the restaurant now heavily relies on, as their indoor dining capacity was reduced by over 50% with appropriate social distancing.