MAINE, USA — Two weeks from now, in a non-pandemic year, many people would be at parties and celebrations ready to welcome 2021, but that is not our reality right now.
Among what looks different? Going out to eat, and typically on New Year's Eve, a lot of us do that.
This year, many restaurants are having to change how they help us celebrate New Year's Eve. Many celebrations will actually take place before midnight this year due to Maine's 9 p.m. required closing time for restaurants.
"We are going to ring the bell at 8 p.m., celebrate for another hour, and then call it a day," Scott Voge said, owner of The Front Porch in Ogunquit when talking about New Year's Eve plans. "The Maine community has done a tremendous job in supporting all of us."
The Front Porch decided they were going to cancel its usual Christmas Eve dinner to give the day off to its employees.
Vogel adds the biggest challenge this year has been the unknown. "Making sure people feel safe and provide what we normally provide, but under very, very, very different circumstances."
The restaurant in Ogunquit usually hosts a lively New Year's Eve type of celebration to kick off the near year, but Vogel said not this year. At 9 p.m., the restaurant will be closing its doors, but they will celebrate both earlier with customers who come and dine at the restaurant before 9 p.m. and will host a special brunch on New Year's Day to help kick off the new year.
"Our kind of slogan for the New Year's Eve, New Year's Day is 'Shut down 2020 and let's start 2021 off, looking for a better year.'" Vogel said. "We are hoping for a much better summer in 2021."
Vogel said with Maine's numbers on the rise, he wouldn't be surprised if businesses enter another lockdown in the near future. "
If our governor comes out and says, 'You know we need six weeks to get things back on track'... she has done a tremendous job in keeping us safe as a state, so that has allowed us, in my opinion, to stay open during the summer and the fall."
Kelsey Clark is the manager at The Tarratine in Bangor. Clark said they will do New Year's celebrations as they typically would for both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
"We are going to open an hour earlier this year to make up for that time gap and we will make it a party no matter what," Clark said. "We have the tree up, we have great new features in addition to our menu and lots of seating!"
Clark said it has been a challenging year for the downtown Bangor restaurant.
"When everyone is telling people to stay in and avoid going out, it feels kind of odd to be inviting people in and kind of begging people to come in," Clark said. "Hopefully 2021 will be a much better year for us."
For New Year's, the restaurant will offer a special festive menu and use it's three indoor seating floors to accommodate everyone safely and spaciously.
"We have learned some business concepts, and we've had to adapt through some crazy new things," Clark said. "We are really grateful for the people that are able to safely come out and join us this holiday season."
John Kelly is the CEO of Zenreach, a walk-through marketing company that has been helping restaurant owners through this pandemic.
"The consumer's view is this might not be the safest environment to go our and celebrate amongst large groups, so how do you get that celebration and opportunity in the hands of the consumer where they are going to be?"
Kelly said that's by using delivery, catering, and offering curbside pick up.
Kelly also suggests businesses and restaurants to:
- Add the latest safety protocols to your business...including contactless payment, sanitizing surfaces in front of customers, and wearing the appropriate PPE
- Communicate the health and safety measures your business has recently taken to your customers, as well as any changes in service or offerings made by the business
- Pivot to delivery, takeout, and a ghost kitchen/virtual concept model if you are a restaurant
- Use data to identify and connect with your most valuable consumers: the ones who come in most frequently
- Maintain (or even increase) your online marketing spend to take advantage of lower advertising costs and record-high engagement
"Make sure that you are communicating with the customers in a very consistent manner, because regardless of what you think, they don't necessarily know if you are open, they don't know what your hours are, and they don't know, and they don't know what your safety protocols. Getting this message out there at this juncture is critical," Kelly said.
"We will just continue to be resilient and make the best of what we have," Clark said.
The owner of Paddy Murphy's in Bangor, John Dobbs, tells NEWS CENTER MAINE he plans to drop the lighted beach-ball at midnight in West Market Square to help celebrate and kick off the new year.
In Kennebunkport, The Wild Blueberry Ball Drop from the Bell Tower of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church will be streamed via video 9 p.m. (for the early birds) and at midnight, via the NYEKBK Facebook page and YouTube.