It’s Friday night at Westport’s newest restaurant. The bar has a steady flow of customers and tables are filled. While COVID restrictions have significantly hurt many local businesses, this local establishment has figured out a way to survive – but not without some help from the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce’s (WWCC). The organization’s newest initiative, Bring Your Own Blanket (BYOB), was launched on Nov. 4 in an effort to keep restaurants afloat in the winter months by promoting outdoor seating and encouraging a sense of normalcy within the Westport community.
As COVID cases continue to spike, Westporters’ willingness to dine inside establishments has diminished. To tend to Connecticut residents’ safety concerns, Governor Ned Lamont recently issued an executive order requiring restaurants to close at 9:30 p.m. and limiting the indoor dining capacity to 50% from 75%.