KITTERY, Maine — As barriers to indoor dining continue to fall in the Granite State, restaurants in Maine worry about losing customers across the border - especially as winter weather approaches.
New Hampshire restaurants have been operating at 100% capacity since August with six-feet distancing.
On Thursday, state officials eased those restrictions as long as partitions are erected between seats, a boost to Portsmouth's vibrant restaurant scene.
But just across the river in Kittery, restaurants are limited to 50 people indoors, with six-feet distancing. Many eateries have been able to get by with outdoor dining, but that's expected to end when temperatures dip later this month.
"It's a concern where they will have more capacity. Rehearsal dinners, retirement dinners which we have a lot of demand for but not able to accommodate," Scott Logan, the owner of the Blue Mermaid Island Grill, said.
Officials with Hospitality Maine say they are continuing to lobby state officials to allow restaurants and other businesses to expand to 50 percent capacity with six feet distancing.
Click here for COVID-19 prevention guidelines for Maine restaurants from the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development/
Read about New Hampshire's COVID-19 safety guidelines for restaurants here.