Watch CBS News

Howard County Summer Restaurant Weeks Will Look Different Due To Coronavirus

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- Diners will see a number of changes to the Howard County Summer Restaurant Weeks this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

For the first time, curbside and delivery options will be available as part of the event. In-person dining will also be available.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: 

Nearly two dozen restaurants will take part in the two-week event, which runs from July 13 to July 26. Among them is Hudson Coastal.

Owner-operator Tricia Hudson said the pandemic has hurt her business and she's worried about the future.

"We haven't been able to really bring back all of our staff and that's been very difficult, we've reduced our menu by about 25 percent and we've had to raise our prices slightly in order to make up for some of the lost sales," she said.

Officials and business owners alike said the annual event will be critical for restaurants that were forced to close for weeks due to the pandemic.

"As we're all trying to deal with physical distancing but fight isolation, being able to support our local restaurants, our local business leaders, it's especially important," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said.

Last year's restaurant weeks event helped boost Hudson Coastal's sales by 15 percent. Hudson said she hopes this year will be similar.

For a full list of participating restaurants, click here.

Baltimore's Summer Restaurant Week will kick off on July 24 and end on August 2.

For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.