On May 18th, Charlie Baker announced a new phased reopening plan in Massachusetts. Each phase will allow different types of businesses to reopen and give more freedom to store owners and customers. Due to the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, local businesses have taken a destructive hit. Some stores and restaurants have filed for bankruptcy, while others were able to make money virtually, allowing them to stay open. As the long-lasting economic effects of the pandemic are still unclear, many local businesses in Cambridge remain uncertain of their future. Even though the phased reopening plan allows many businesses to partially reopen their services, the level of operation previous to COVID-19 is impossible. Compounding to the past couple of months where every non-essential business has been shut, a partial reopening does not put businesses on the economic track they need to be on. For example, Jeffrey Mayersohn, co-owner of the Harvard Book Store, told the Register Forum over email, “The reality is that, until we can again host many customers in the store, at author readings, and at our warehouse, we will face continued challenges.” Until business can return completely back to normal, there is no telling how the economic fallout will affect companies.

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With social distancing guidelines in place for Cambridge, businesses selling food have continued to operate, though not without a fair amount of difficulty. Safely procuring food is one of the biggest concerns for Cantabridgians staying in their homes, and it is up to local businesses to take measures to protect their staff and customers. Richard S., a manager at Broadway Market, told the Register Forum, “We’ve had to come up with different options: online ordering, curbside pickup, and senior hours. We have the whole store protected with plexiglass, and everyone is wearing masks and gloves.”  Broadway Market, located next to CRLS, is normally filled by students and teachers throughout the school day, but with no school, that has changed. As far as the location goes, Broadway is incredibly fortunate; conveniently in the flow of traffic as students go to and from school, a significant portion of business comes from CRLS holding classes on campus. Businesses neighboring the school are particularly feeling  the absence of students. “Financially… we’re maintaining, let’s put it that way,” Richard S. continued. “We hope to get back to some semblance of normal, but hopefully [CRLS and Harvard students] will be back in school eventually, lunches will be back, and our revenues will change.”