Iconic J’s Oyster In Portland Announces Winter Closure Due To Pandemic Restrictions

The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has proven to be a difficult hill to climb for the State of Maine. During the early months of the pandemic, Maine consistently led the way in the United States in everything from fewest cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Unfortunately, Maine hasn't been as successful during this second surge and additional restrictions on businesses have once again been instituted by Governor Janet Mills in hopes of slowing the spread. That is likely going to lead to some difficult decisions for businesses as winter settles in, including one iconic Portland restaurant.

Shared on Facebook by J's Oyster, the Portland waterfront institution announced that they would be closing their restaurant on December 13th for the entire winter due to increased restrictions and a likely significant downturn in business. J's won't be gone for good, as they're hopeful to reopen their doors at the beginning of April as the weather warms and vaccinations become more prevalent amongst the population. By spring, the hope is that many restrictions and curfews restaurants face right now will be a thing of the past.

With J's Oyster announcing a winter closure, it's reasonable to expect that other well-known Portland restaurants may follow suit. Other established restaurants have initiated transitions in their business model to survive through the winter. According to Portland Food Map, that includes Central Provisions, who have shifted from their fine dining experience concept to a take-out/delivery model that focuses on sandwiches, soups and salads for the time being. When restrictions are lifted, Central Provisions plans to return to business as usual.