Early curfew ending

Restaurants welcome end of 9:30 closing time

Late-night diners will again be able to light up their neon signs beckoning customers in for 24-hour specials come Monday when a curfew mandating restaurants and most other businesses to close by 9:30 p.m. lifts.

The state is also rescinding an overnight stay-athome order, but industries hit hard by the coronavirus will have to live with customer capacity caps of 25% for another two weeks as the state continues to fight off an onslaught of cases, Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday.

“Vaccines are reaching residents, positive case rates have stabilized. Those trends are moving in the right direction. As a result, we believe it’s time and it’s OK to start gradually easing on the restrictions we put in place,” Baker said.

The easing of restrictions is welcome news among business owners and their workers, who hope to see the reopening progress even further in the weeks to come.

“Allowing diners to have more time to enjoy time out of the house, in a supervised, regulated and proven safe environment is a great step to moving away from unregulated private gatherings. We also look forward to increasing our capacity limits shortly,” said Bob Luz of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association.

Kim Lacombe, who usually works overnights at Worcester’s Boulevard Diner said she’s been “making nothing” since Baker imposed the curfew and stay-at-home order in November. The diner, which had been open for table service during the day and latenight for takeout, stopped its signature 24-hour service two weeks ago due to a lack of business.

“The customers want us to reopen full time,” she said.

Pat O’Hara, co-owner of O’Hara’s Pub in Newton, operates two family-owned restaurants and said, “A lot of small mom and pop restaurants operate on thin margins.”

For Matt Casey, director of operations at Back Bay Social Club, he’s looking forward to “a little normalcy.”

The holidays have been tough for restaurants, retailers and most other businesses, which were ordered to cut capacity to 25% of their maximum on Dec. 26 — weeks after the curfew was imposed — after holiday gatherings sent coronavirus numbers skyrocketing.

Baker said the decision earned him the nickname “Scrooge” on social media.

The 25% capacity restrictions — intended to be temporary — are now slated to expire Feb. 8.

But the clampdown on businesses appears to be working.

“Today, three weeks into 2021, our public health data is trending in a better direction in some categories, like hospitalizations and the percent of positive COVID cases for the first time in a long time,” Baker said.

Now the focus needs to turn to long-term support for small businesses and restaurants that have lost millions over 10 months of coronavirus business closures, said Tony Maws, cofounder of Massachusetts Restaurants United.

“No one’s talking about how we build this industry back up again,” said Maws, chef and owner of Craigie on Main in Cambridge. “We don’t just flip a switch. It’s going to take an enormous amount of money.”

STuART CAHiLL PHoTos / HeRALd sTAFF WHAT A RELIEF: Patrick O’Hara, one of the co-owners of O’Hara’s on Walnut Street in Newton, said he was relieved as Gov. Charlie Baker announced a lifting of the rule that all restaurants must close at 9:30 p.m. as of Monday. ‘A lot of small mom and pop restaurants operate on thin margins,’ he said.

CHRis CHRisTo / HeRALd sTAFF CLOSING TIME: The Boulevard Diner on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, usually open 24 hours, has been forced to close at 9:30 p.m. due to the coronavirus but can return to normal hours on Monday.

‘A LITTLE NORMALCY’: Matthew Casey, the director of operations at Back Bay Social on Boylston Street, said he’s looking forward to the upcoming relaxation of coronavirus rules.

IT’S ALL IN THE TIMING: Patrons eat and chat at the bar of O’Hara’s during the day, with the eatery staying within the 25% capacity cap.

STAYING SAFE: Signs at the entrance of O’Hara’s remind people that masks must be worn until they are served.

BAKER