By: Hadley Barndollar, Portsmouth Herald

PORTSMOUTH – As dusk fell on Wednesday evening and a bitter chill covered the Seacoast, one by one, individuals sporadically arrived on foot at the parking lot of the Greenleaf Recreation Center. 
They waited patiently outside, in front of a table spread with plastic forks, napkins and a large insulated hot food carrier. 
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Through the glass doors of the recreation center, Tammy Joslyn, executive director of nonprofit Operation Blessing, would see them, and quickly come outside to serve them a hot meal.

This week's offering was baked chicken, rice, mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes and onions, courtesy of White Heron Coffee and Tea, from their second, and new, cafe location in Eliot, Maine.
The meal distribution, which is scheduled to feed homeless individuals on Wednesday nights at the Greenleaf Recreation Center, is part of a new Seacoast-wide funding initiative called Take Out Hunger.

The organization essentially pays restaurants to cook meals for the food insecure, vulnerable individuals, or places where a need is identified – helping to keep the restaurants afloat financially during the COVID-19 pandemic, while simultaneously addressing the growing issue of hunger.

By Kimberly Houghton Union Leader Correspondent

A new COVID-19 revolving loan fund is expected to send about $750,000 to various small businesses throughout the Gate City.

The funding, which will be distributed in the form of low-interest loans, is expected to be available in the next six to eight weeks, according to Tim Cummings, economic development director.

The money will be targeted mostly toward new businesses and minority-owned small businesses throughout Nashua, he said.
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“We are going to make a point to prioritize these types of industries, these types of businesses, hopefully to shrink the gap that was there previously,” said Cummings.

By: Hadley Barndollar, Portsmouth Herald

PORTSMOUTH – While working at her bar one night last week, Bethany Hayes' phone lit up with an unexpected FaceTime call. 

"Nuh uh," Hayes exclaimed, staring at Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, on her screen. 

Having applied to be a recipient of the Barstool Fund, the owner of TJ's Food and Spirits knew what the call meant – that her sports bar would be guaranteed to see the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic
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Portnoy's Barstool Fund has raised close to $30 million to support small business owners across the country. So far, the fund has selected 176 businesses to help, Portsmouth's own TJ's now joining the list. 

By Kelly Burch, Granite State News Collaborative

​In the early days after opening Burnt Timber Brewing & Tavern in Wolfeboro in 2017, Eddie Michno was a one-man show. He did all the food prep and brewing, waited on customers, talked to them about the latest offerings and prepared their food.

“It’s funny to go, ‘Remember that?’ then realize we’re going back to that,” Michno said.
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The pandemic has dampened business at Burnt Timber, so Michno is trying to get the most out of the fewest number of staff. He has streamlined the restaurant in order to keep his overhead low and ensure that the staff that remain have enough hours to pay their bills.

By: Kyle Stucker, Fosters Daily Democrat

ROCHESTER — The City Council voted Tuesday to table proposed changes to Rochester’s outdoor dining ordinance.
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The proposed changes, some of which drew concerns from councilors and business owners earlier this month, will now go back for additional review at the Codes and Ordinances Committee’s Feb. 4 meeting.

Ahead of Tuesday’s unanimous vote to table the changes, Mayor Caroline McCarley suggested the tabling so the committee can “look at staff recommendations and business owner recommendations.”

Some city councilors and business owners have raised concerns about a provision that won’t allow canopies, tents and coverings over dining areas, as well as a provision that denies “live entertainment of any type” without referencing the fact the city will continue to have a special event permit process to allow and regulate that activity.

By: Bob Sanders, New Hampshire Business Review 

Some 35 business organizations are behind a Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire effort to push state lawmakers and the governor to back Covid-19 liability protections for companies.
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The effort comes before the language of the bill, to be introduced by Sen. Bob Giuda, R-Warren, has been finalized. But it would provide a safe harbor, meaning that a business couldn’t be sued as long as it is following guidelines, he said, but “bad actors” would not be protected.

“The wording will get some massaging,” Giuda told NH Business Review. “But the last thing businesses need now is a frivolous lawsuit that will cost someone 40 or 50 grand just to defend against it. Businesses are doing their part. The least we can do is provide them a safe harbor.”

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