The mystery surrounding when part one of phase 2 of the Massachusetts reopening plan has been solved: It officially is Monday, June 8. While plenty of questions remain, what’s clear is that Wellesley retailers as of Monday can open their doors and offer browsing for a limited number of socially distanced customers, and restaurants can begin offering sit-down dining outside.
Wellesley’s retailers have partnered with the town and Health Department to prep with the protective gear needed to help provide a safe environment under COVID-19 rules. Sanitizing stations can be seen in Linden Square, which also has brightly painted merchandise pick-up spots in its parking lots. A sampling of other action:
- Wellesley Square merchants such as Comina, reopening its store to customers on June 9, are pledging safe environments for shoppers.
- The Painting Place in Wellesley Hills will be back in action on June 8, with outdoor seating and limited indoor access.
- Isabel Harvey in Wellesley Square says both its Wellesley and Nantucket stores open at 10am on Monday.
- Wellesley Toy Shop is back in action, too, open 10am-6pm Monday-Saturday, 11am-5pm Sunday.
- Caffe Nero is open 8am-5pm seven days a week
Meanwhile, the town has made available an application that restaurants can fill out to get permission to offer outdoor dining, possibly beyond where they usually do. The town says it is open to creative options, and the Board of Selectmen plans to discuss and vote on a temporary outdoor dining permitting plan at its June 8 meeting.
Papa Razzi, Alta Strada, Café Mangal, Smith & Wollensky were the first four restaurants to submit applications, according to Wellesley Executive Director Meghan Jop, and Juniper was expected not to be far behind.
Fiorella’s Remon Karian also told us late last week that the Italian eatery is seeking permission to add tables on the sidewalk. Fiorella’s has already been providing curbside pick-up and no-contact delivery.
Nearby, Smith & Wollensky hopes to expand beyond its sidewalk seating with tables in the parking lot behind the building. The restaurant, which has been completely closed in Wellesley during the health crisis, will begin offering outdoor dining on June 10. It will also provide take-out and curbside pick-up.
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Wellesley would benefit all if it enabled restaurants to serve in the street and closed the streets to traffic in downtown Wellesley from Church St and along Central St