By Denise J. Wheeler
Seacoastonline.com

Chef Brendan Vesey closed his Joinery restaurant in Newmarket when COVID-19 closures began and is focusing on his Botanica Restaurant and Gin Bar in Portsmouth’s West End. [Rich Beauchesne/Seacoastonline, file]

Editor’s note: This article is part of the Rebuilding America series, which explores the reopening of the nation and the Seacoast following the shutdown caused by the novel coronavirus.

The ’50s-style Roundabout diner in Portsmouth is offering carhop service in its parking lot. Guests at Latitudes, the waterfront restaurant at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel and Spa in New Castle, are now able to dine on the property’s poolside decks with views of the ocean.

The fun and extravagance of these reopenings belie stark realities faced by independent restaurant owners on the Seacoast. COVID-19 has already forced some to shutter their businesses. Others cannot reopen yet because state and local guidelines are not economically feasible. Still more are balancing precariously on thin profit margins as they try to stay afloat offering outdoor dining and-or takeout.

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