Small Cape Restaurants Won't See Boost From Capacity Increase

HYANNIS, MA — Starting Monday, many businesses across the state will be able to increase capacity from 25 to 40 percent.

For Cape Cod restaurants, this is helpful for larger eateries, but for smaller ones, the number of seats the change opens may not make a big difference for business.

Alberto's Ristorante, an Italian restaurant in Hyannis, seats hundreds of people. Owner Felis Barreiro said he thinks the capacity increase will be a big help.

"I have 330 seats, so it does give me an option, and that's good for us with Valentine's Day coming up," Barreiro said.

For smaller restaurants like Scargo Café in Dennis, the increase to capacity wasn't as impactful.

"Every little increase is beneficial, but it's pretty negligible, Co-owner David Troutman said. It's probably three tables, but two or three more times a day."

According to Troutman, green houses installed for winter outdoor dining helped because they aren't considered part of indoor dining, so capacity at those haven't been affected at all. He said business isn't "gangbusters," but the eatery has done well on the weekends, and unfortunately he associated some of that with other restaurants in the area closing.

"We welcome having a vibrant community and everyone doing well," Troutman said. "I certainly don't want to benefit from other places closing."

Both Barreiro and Troutman said a lot of people also just aren't comfortable going out to eat yet amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Business across the board, is slower at Alberto's, especially during weekdays. During the holidays, when the 25 percent capacity was implemented, Barreiro said he took a hit on New Year's Eve. Instead of the 500 tables the restaurant will serve over the course of a typical holiday night, Alberto's saw just about 200 customers to welcome the new year.

Still, Barreiro said he's hopeful business bounces back over the next few months, as more people have access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

"As soon as vaccines get distributed quickly, more people will come out," Barreiro said. "That's what a lot of takeout customers have been saying. We're hopeful we can start getting a few more people inside, especially as the weather warms."