Coronavirus Branford: Eateries Announce Closings, Take-Out Plans

BRANFORD, CT — The heart emoji in the Facebook post says it all.

"It’s with a heavy heart Assaggio has made the difficult decision to close our doors for a few weeks. The safety of our staff and customers is, and always will be our priority. To our loyal customers, and to the community we have served for over 18 years, we will continue to be there for you. Anyone with children home from school they are unable to provide meals for, please don’t hesitate to send a message. I would be personally happy to confidentially provide any meals I can. We will all get through this as a community and as a family. Let’s make this situation our time to shine and help those around us. We look forward to seeing and serving you all again very soon."

On a Monday morning conference call, the governors of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey announced that bars, restaurants, casinos, movie theaters, gyms will close tonight at 8 p.m. and will remain closed until further notice. Restaurants may remain open for food take-out and delivery.

Gov. Ned Lamont, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Gov. Phil Murphy, respectively, made comments on the call that began with the governors saying they "work very well together. I'm blessed to have them as my colleagues when states can work together well makes all the difference in the world."
Lamont had said Sunday that he'd work with New York to shutter bars but said he'd talk to Cuomo first: "It doesn't make any sense for Connecticut to do something and not New York. People will just go across the borders."

Cuomo said "we have agreed to a common set of rules that will pertain in all our states. So don't even think of going to another state."

The three governors said that there will be no crowds, gatherings of more than 50 are prohibited and that all bars, restaurants, casinos, gyms and movie theaters will close Monday night at 8 p.m.

Supermarkets, pharmacies and gas stations will remain open. Non-essential travel is discouraged.

“We must do everything we can as a community to slow the spread of this virus so that we don’t overwhelm our healthcare system and we protect the most vulnerable," Lamont said. "Viruses do not know borders, which is why taking a regional approach on this issue is the best plan forward. A national approach to these measures would be the best option to slow and mitigate the spread of this virus."

It was noted that tribal casinos, like Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, are sovereign nations and it's up to them if they close. Lamont said he's encouraging them to abide.

Some Restaurant Owners Are Worried, Some Are Closing, Others Are Adapting

Jim Triantis is afraid. Afraid for his business and for his dozens of workers and their families. And he’s worried too about his customers, the vast majority of whom are elderly.

“They don’t cook. How will they eat?”

The sense of urgency, the worry could be heard in his voice.

Triantis, owner of East Haven’s legendary Twin Pines Diner, said that in the restaurant's 40 years, nothing comes close to this level of disaster.

“My God, this is devastating. It’s all coming so fast. I didn’t expect it. None of us did," he said.
“So many older people depend on us. We’d like to stay open for them. They are the center of my business, people 60 and up. They come every day. Who is going to cook for them? And what about my employees? I have 20, 30 families that rely on their job. Who’s going to pay my rent? My bills? The $20,000 worth of food I’ll have to throw away?”

In an interview with Patch, when asked if Twin Pines Diner could provide take out, Triantis said with no drivers, he's not even sure how that would work. When a reporter suggested using delivery services like Uber Eats, GrubHub, for example, he said it would all have to be figured out.

"Our customers come to us," he said. But added that they'll do what they need to do to adjust.

"It's just terrible for us, for everyone that this is happening," he said.