PORTLAND, Maine — Fishermen and restaurant owners have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. In hopes of getting support for both industries at the same time, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) is doing something pretty interesting for diners on Wednesday.
They are calling it their "Split the Seafood Bill" day.
GMRI will cover half the cost of meals that include seafood sourced from the Gulf of Maine at any of their 20 participating culinary partner restaurants.
The seafood industry depends on the success of local restaurants.
"One of the best things about working in restaurants is that it’s a community endeavor,” Mike Wiley, chef-owner of Eventide Oyster Co, said in a news release. “When it’s going well, the rising tide lifts all boats, but when it’s not, it’s grim for all of us. From our staff who are concerned about their job security to our purveyors who are worried about their ability to sell even a fraction of the product they’re used to selling, to our friends and colleagues in this industry who have already had to shutter their businesses, the pandemic has been hard on restaurants and its people.”
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Here's how this works: Mainers can order seafood either in-person or takeout from one of GMRI’s Culinary Partner restaurants, take a photo of their dish and receipt, and submit it through GMRI’s online portal for reimbursement. GMRI will reimburse up to $30 per meal for the first 200 diners who submit their photos and receipts.
Here are the restaurants participating:
- Andy's Old Port Pub
- Black Point Inn
- Black Trumpet Bistro
- Boone's Fish House & Oyster Bar
- Churchill Events
- Cliff House Maine
- DiMillo's
- Eventide Oyster Co.
- Evo Kitchen + Bar
- Fore Street Restaurant
- Frontier
- Hugo's
- Sea Glass Restaurant at Inn by the Sea
- King Eider's Pub
- O' Oysters Mobile Food Cart
- Portland Lobster Co.
- Robert's Maine Grill
- Shade at Higgins Beach Inn
- The Honey Paw
- TIQA
You can also you the hashtag #SplitTheSeafoodBill to share your experience.
