Hingham restaurateur advocates on behalf of struggling restaurants

By Carol Britton Meyer

There's no time like the present to support our local restaurants!
Brian Houlihan, owner of the Trident Galley & Raw Bar at the Hingham Shipyard, The Parrot in Hull, and three other South Shore restaurants, is among the many independent restaurant owners and other Massachusetts Restaurants United members who recently advocated at the State House for proposed legislation geared toward helping local restaurants struggling to stay in business during the pandemic.
Stephanie Burke -- who owns Lenny's Hideaway in Cohasset with her husband, Derek -- and Houlihan are leading the MRU's South Shore effort.

"We need numbers," Houlihan said recently. "Together we can make a difference."

Now that Fall has arrived, the outdoor dining season will soon come to an end, and much-reduced inside seating due to state COVID-19 regulations will continue to add to restaurant owners' woes.

The proposed economic aid package includes a Distressed Restaurant Relief Fund that would offer one-time grants to restaurant owners that could be used to cover rent, payroll, insurance, and other expenses, but that proposed bill is still pending.
Now that the number of restaurants involved is growing, "the next step is spreading the word so Gov. Charlie Baker will take us more seriously and listen to our issues.  We were all shut down by the government, and we need to get some kind of relief," Houlihan said.

According to the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, 20 percent of eateries have closed permanently due to COVID-19 impacts.
Let's continue to support our local restaurants!
For further information or to join the MRU, email jbrianhoulihan@gmail.com.

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