Bowdoin Plans Leave Small Businesses Uncertain of Future

Share

Patrick Byrnes, General Manager, of Byrnes Irish Pub, This Afternoon.

“It’s still sinking in for some.  It’s a weird feeling,” said Pat Byrnes, general manager, of Byrnes Irish Pub a short walk from the Bowdoin College campus.  He was referring to the news that Bowdoin has just informed its students not to return from spring break because of the spread of coronavirus.  Students not leaving the campus for spring break must leave the campus on Wednesday.

It is unclear whether or not an on campus graduation will be held for graduating seniors.  Classes will be held on-line rather than face to face.

“It’s gonna’ hurt.  It will take a chunk from our business.  Many of our patrons are faculty and staff at Bowdoin.  They are food servers and housekeepers.  Everyone has been talking about it.”  The bar will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Tuesday, St. Patrick’s Day.  Another family-owned Pub is located in Bath.

A stone’s throw from the Bowdoin College campus is Eva Cole’s upscale resale boutique at 212D Maine Street.  Cole learned about the College plans from a professor who is a customer of hers and came in to her shop yesterday.  Between 20% and 30% of her business comes from Bowdoin students and professors.  “Seniors were just starting to buy interview clothing,” she said.  Cole was formerly the director of retail at Sugarloaf.  “We are all having emotions that are hard to identify,” she said. (Go to eva@discoveronmaine.com for more information).

“Yesterday with the announcement of the College’s closing, it felt a bit as though the air had been sucked out of the room.  The air that did remain felt vaguely spooky…Luckily this is temporary.  We will all get through this:  the students whose school year has been so abruptly disrupted, the athletes and musicians won’t be able to perform on the field or court or on  the stage;….one day we will all look back at this with well, a sense of spooky, apocalyptic poignancy,” wrote the owner of The Brunswick Inn.