It has been more than a year since the coronavirus pandemic first upended the restaurant industry. Now, with a return to normalcy on the horizon, restaurateurs are celebrating the lifting of restrictions and worrying about an influx of customers during a particularly vulnerable time.
On Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced plans to lift almost all COVID-19 restrictions on May 29, allowing restaurants to operate without social distancing or time limits, and inviting vaccinated guests to dine without masks indoors and outdoors. Following the governor’s announcement, Boston acting mayor Kim Janey revealed that the city will follow the state’s plans, lifting restrictions in Boston on May 29.
Caffe Nero on Newbury Street permanently closed in October 2020.
Judge rules that Boston café cannot be forced to pay rent while they were closed during the pandemic A Superior Court ruling in favor of a Boston Caffe Nero location that closed during the pandemic could have positive implications for other struggling businesses
A Suffolk County, Mass. Superior Court ruled Thursday in favor of a Boston location of the London-based café chain Caffe Nero, stating that the café cannot be forced to backpay rent for the three months during the early days of the pandemic last spring when the café was shut down during the statewide lockdown. The Newbury Street location of Caffe Nero ultimately closed permanently in October after struggling even when their doors reopened, the Boston Globe reported.
A group representing chefs and restaurant owners in Massachusetts is calling on state lawmakers to help them survive. With temperatures dropping and outdoor dining becoming more difficult, they say more relief is needed now. Massachusetts Restaurants United rallied outside the State House on Tuesday in their chef coats and aprons. They are hoping lawmakers will pass an economic aid package… Massachusetts Jul 29, 2020
Massachusetts’ Senate unanimously approved legislation Tuesday creating a special commission to review the state motto, flag and seal, which includes a controversial depiction of a Native American man. The seal depicts a Native American man, a colonist’s arm brandishing a sword, and a Latin phrase that reads, in part, “By the sword we seek peace.” The bill still needs.
Congressional Leaders Talk Emergency Relief
Tuesday’s talks first in months hint at hope. Speaker Nancy Pelosi hosted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy yesterday to negotiate a spending and relief deal. Pelosi also talked at length with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin this week.
TPC’s Matheson: Biden’s corporate tax proposals are an efficient and progressive revenue raiser. TPC’s Thornton Matheson explains why raising the federal corporate income tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent and offering a 10 percent “made in America” tax credit for qualifying domestic manufacturing investments would be relatively efficient and progressive.