Empty Lots, Empty Shelves

By Brandon T. Bisceglia

Saturday afternoon is normally a prime time for going out to eat or gathering with friends for a fun activity.

But on the Saturday after the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered many businesses in Connecticut, some popular locations in Milford and Orange were ghosts of their former selves.

The Bridgeport Flyer Diner in Milford and Chip’s Family Restaurant in Orange are normally bustling eateries. Restaurants in Connecticut are still technically open, as they are allowed to serve customers for pickup and delivery. Chip’s even had multiple signs out front declaring that they were open. But the parking lots of both were empty.

Some establishments, such as Eli’s Tavern on Daniel Street in Milford, hung signs outside and kept their doors open to remind potential patrons that they need not stay away entirely.

Some eateries couldn’t do that, though. Around the corner from Eli’s, Café Atlantique apologized to customers with a sign on its darkened window.

Restaurants weren’t the only places suffering from closure. Any place where people might congregate was affected. That included the Planet Fitness gym in Orange and the Bowlero bowling alley in Milford.

The Connecticut Post Mall in Milford was possibly the largest venue in the area to be shut down. The parking deck outside Macy’s and LA Fitness –  which would normally be bustling on a weekend – was empty.

Other businesses have experienced different kinds of strains from the pandemic. The Stop & Shop in Milford has limited paper goods, like toilet paper and paper towels, to two per person. Nevertheless, the shelves have remained bare.

Despite the new restrictions, not all businesses are devoid of activity. At the Starbucks on the Boston Post Road in Orange, the line for the drive-through window snaked all the way around the building.