Page 11 - BusinessWest Sept. 29, 2021

restaurants to close for testing and quarantine, Mayor David Narkewicz made the decision to bring back indoor mask mandates.
“It’s never easy to be out front and be the first, but since we brought back masking, the communities around us have followed suit,” he said, adding that the city’s priority is keeping every- one safe and healthy. “We need busi- nesses open for customers. Otherwise, the engine that drives Northampton isn’t going to run.”
The return to wearing masks was an easy change for Egelston’s staff at Northampton Brewery.
“In the restaurant business, we often make quick adjustments,” she said. “We also have a box of masks at our entrance for customers who arrive without one.”
In 2020, when the first wave of the pandemic closed all kinds of business- es for several months, Egelston delayed her reopening until Aug. 10, the 33rd anniversary of the brewery. Even though outdoor dining has always been a part of the restaurant, with two levels of rooftop decks, she still had to
“We are very fortunate to have this outdoor space, but it wasn’t as simple as opening the doors.”
retrofit the space for the times.
“We installed plexiglass barriers and
socially distanced our tables outside
as if we were inside. We are very fortu- nate to have this outdoor space, but it wasn’t as simple as opening the doors,” she said, adding that all employees are vaccinated. “It’s our policy.”
Since reopening last August, the brewery has operated at a lower capac- ity, not due to mandates, but because of trouble finding enough staff.
“The core staff who work here are great,” Egelston said, adding that, while there is always some amount of turn- over, she hasn’t received many applica- tions in the last several months. “That’s starting to improve, but we’re not yet ready to go to full capacity.”
Workforce Crunch
While the city is in a better place than it was a year ago, Cahillane said, staffing remains a challenge for most businesses.
“When everyone is hiring, it per- petuates the issue further because employers are all looking for the same people,” she noted. “They are also fill- ing positions at every conceivable level, from dishwasher to front of house to store manager.”
Despite the staffing challenges, Jackson said most businesses in Northampton had a great summer. In talking with business owners in the
restaurant, retail, and construction sec- tors, he said many reported success at pre-pandemic levels.
“A caterer I spoke with has 200 events booked through the end of the year,” he said. “One restaurant owner said her numbers are better than they’ve been in a long time.”
‘Summer on Strong’ was a success- ful effort to close an entire section of Strong Avenue to traffic and turn it into an outdoor dining pavilion shared by a few different eateries. Narkewicz credited local restaurants for suggest- ing and leading the effort. When ideas
Northampton
Continued on page 13
Amy Cahillane says the cityisina better place than it was
a year ago, but staffing remains a problem for businesses.
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