Can restaurants turn a profit at 50% capacity? They think not

By PAT GROSSMITH

Granite State News Collaborative

Jonathan Van Fleet—Monitor staff 

Jonathan Van Fleet—Monitor staff 

Restaurants across the state are gearing up to open outdoor dining areas on May 18 amid growing concern of how to ensure the public and staff’s safety and whether there will be enough customers to make it financially viable.

Tom Boucher, CEO-owner of Great NH Restaurants Inc., said he plans to open outdoor dining at all nine of his restaurants which include T-Bones, CJ’s, Cactus Jack’s and the Copper Door located around the state.

A new T-Bones in Concord will be Boucher’s 10th restaurant and is still in the process of hiring staff.

Only one, T-Bones in Salem, doesn’t have a patio so the plan is to rent a tent, tables and chairs and set up a site in the parking lot.

All of the other restaurants, he said, also will feature tent dining in parking lots to expand seating capacity.

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