By Rod Lee

Talk to local restaurateurs and they will say the industry is maintaining surprising strength on the cusp of a new year, despite the lingering effects of the pandemic.

“Things are good,” Josh Suprenant of Samuel Slater’s Restaurant at Indian Ranch in Webster said on January 5. “We just rolled out a new menu, we hired a new chef in September and we have a lot of events scheduled, including monthly beer and wine functions. We are firing on all cylinders.”

“We had one of our best Decembers,” Steve Londregan of Chuck’s Steakhouse in Auburn said. “We were encouraged about the number of gift cards customers purchased and some functions have come back. We hosted a lot of company Christmas parties, only two of about fifteen of those cancelled because of the virus.”

Steve Bingham of Bentley Pub in Auburn expressed cautious optimism about 2022. Coming out of the holidays, “some days are good, some aren’t, that’s the restaurant business,” he said.

Mr. Bingham wants the public to know that Bentley Pub “follows all the protocols” relating to the virus, “more even than most” establishments.

Michael Glick at The Publick House in Sturbridge said “our big issue is staffing. Over the past six months we’ve seen more demand from customers wanting to come here to dine. Our need is for more cooks and servers. This week, the first week of January, is slow but we’re looking forward to what next week will bring.”

The Publick House is also eagerly anticipating wedding season.

Mr. Suprenant said Samuel Slater’s under the direction of Chef Josh Brown is satisfying the palettes of patrons with “elevated comfort food” and “we’re having fun with classic dishes.”

Southern-style barbecue, “a nice little shepherd’s pie” and southern fried chicken are mainstays.

“We have a big smoker outside” that has helped the restaurant keep pace with what customers want, he said.

“With any new business especially a restaurant, you have to find where you fit,” Mr. Suprenant said. “We still do steaks, people can come in and grab a beer and a burger at the bar and watch the game.”

Josh Brown was formerly executive chef at Prezo Grille & Bar in Milford. “We got to talking over the summer and he liked my vision” for Samuel Slater’s, Mr. Suprenant said. “He’s been in the industry; he’s a very welcomed presence here.”

Like its counterparts in South County, Samuel Slater’s was dealt a blow by the pandemic; “2020 came out of nowhere, like a left hook,” he said. “We have had to evolve and adapt. We wait for them to tell us what to do.”

Speaking of which, the Westborough-based Massachusetts Restaurant Association recently pushed back against new vaccination requirements for certain industries in the city of Boston. MRA President Bob Luz objected to “a one-size-fits-all mandate” in that it does not take into account “the day-to-day nuance of individual circumstances.” Businesses, including restaurants, “should be able to make their own decisions,” he said.

In Auburn, with a nearly 10,000-square-foot restaurant, Chuck’s benefits from being able to separate customers” and keep them safe, Mr. Londregan said. “We didn’t steer away from the original COVID-19 protocols” either, he said.

“Absolutely we are concerned” about the new surge. “Every day one of the employees comes in contact with someone so we educate staff on what to do.”

In terms of masking, “all we can do is encourage our people to be masked. The town of Auburn doesn’t require it.

“We have a large supply of rapid tests on hand. No one is taking it lightly. We are almost back to our numbers from 2019,” thanks to gift cards and the loyalty of Chuck’s customers, he said.

------------------------------------------------------

Contact Rod Lee at [email protected] or 774-232-2999.