Michael Burke, General Manger, Scales, Portland’s Premier Fish Restaurant, 68 Commercial Street, on the Maine Wharf.

Staff  Meeting at the Via Vecchia’s Bar Today, Dana Street, in the Old Port.  It’s Owned by Josh Miranda, Owner of Blythe & Burrows, Exchange Street Bar 

All over Portland restaurants are making decisions and keeping their fingers crossed they were the right ones. With the recent announcement by Governor Janet T. Mills, (D), the first woman governor of Maine,  that restaurants in southern Maine could open on Wednesday, June 17, some in Cumberland County were surprised when the news came – others were not.

“I’m not surprised by anything these days,” said Michael Burke, General Manager of the five year old Scales. on the Portland waterfront – the area’s premier seafood restaurant.  Last night Scales outdoor patio was open for the first time and a group from Florida flew in for the occasion.  “I think we will have a surprisingly busy season,” said the genial Burke.

Scales will open its indoor dining tomorrow starting at 4:00 pm with reservations only.  That’s because the well-regarded restaurant got most of its staff to return.  Some of them were older and decided not to return because they believed this was a good time to end their careers in the hospitality industry.  “We got all of our kitchen crew back and that was important,” he said.

“Portland took the pandemic seriously and that’s why we are opening up,” said Burke.

One prediction from an independent source  is that 80% of small, independent restaurants will not survive this pandemic.