‘Please shop at our local businesses,’ official says as pandemic takes its toll

Wareham businesses are feeling the long-lasting impacts of the pandemic, and many business owners are being forced to make difficult decisions. 

With that in mind, one Select Board member called on the public to step up and support local restaurants and small businesses of all sorts. 

“Over the last three weeks in particular, I’ve been getting calls, emails, texts from different businesses, not just restaurants, [...] basically talking about cutting back — less days a week, fewer hours,” said Select Board member Alan Slavin during a Sept. 28 meeting. 

Slavin said the cost of doing business had increased sharply during the pandemic. He added that a number of businesses are on the verge of closing — and referenced Stevie B’s Sports Bar in Onset, which will be closing its doors permanently on Nov. 6.  

“He’s not the only restaurant that’s expressing the same problems,” Slavin said. “They’re having a very difficult time.” 

For restaurants, he said food costs are going up as are the costs of supplies.

“I can only ask, as I’ve asked before, please shop at our local businesses,” Slavin urged. “Christmas season is coming, but the way it looks even for the Christmas season — it’s not going to save a lot of them. So if you can — I know it’s hard right now for people to spend money — so if you do go out, [...] try to use our local restaurants and our local businesses for services.”