Unfortunately, the start of January 2022 has us feeling like it’s January 2020, too.

As soon as we think we’re escaping this mess we end up right back in the thick of it.

With a rise of cases comes, unfortunately, a rise of closures, and Portland businesses have been fluctuating their business hours because of this.

On Jan. 3, some of Portland’s favorite restaurants, El Rayo and Three Dollar Deweys temporarily closed their doors due to COVID cases. Both restaurants reported on Facebook that staff had tested positive so they closed down to take precautionary steps to protect both their staff and their guests.

The restaurants took the temporary closure as a time to test all of their employees and to sanitize their buildings in order to create a safer space for their return.

Three Dollar Deweys opened their doors back up to the public on Friday, Jan. 7 with a note on Facebook kindly asking guests to wear masks while in the building unless seated at their designated table.

El Rayo took the same approach with their reopening on Jan. 5 after testing staff, sanitizing the building, and asking guests to wear a mask when not sitting down.

Both restaurants, among others in the city, are doing their best while following the ever-changing CDC guidelines to ensure the safest environment for staff and guests.

This has not been an easy time for anyone, but especially so for those in the restaurant industry. If you’re choosing to dine out, treat everyone with both respect and patience as we navigate this together.

25 Small Restaurants in Maine Worth the Drive

More From 102.9 WBLM