PORTLAND, Maine — Small businesses and local restaurants were forced to make some tough calls with the expected snowstorm over the weekend.
With nearly a foot of snow, it hurt local businesses, some of which were on the list for Maine Restaurant Week, like Boone's Fish House in downtown Portland.
General Manager Jonathon Gale said they originally thought the weekend and Saturday of Maine Restaurant Week would be their busiest time this winter.
Business owners across the state participating in the food-filled week say this is a week they look forward to since the first three months of the year are their slowest.
Winter is a time when many local restaurants need an extra boost before the tourism season starts, and they need the business this weekend usually brings in.
"March is a really rough month for us, and it's a drag, especially being on Saturday when we are going to lose those sales numbers, but we have to think first about staff safety, the safety of our customers, and people traveling, we don't want people out on the roads, so we did make the decision to close," Gale said.
Maine Restaurant Week runs until March 12. Business owners hope their restaurants can make up for it on this lost snowy day.