Mom might need to settle on takeout or barbecue for special day

By: Michael Cousineau, New Hampshire Union Leader

Plans called for serving a four-course brunch to 700 diners on Mother’s Day at the LaBelle Winery, but the coronavirus pandemic instead will mean the chefs will be preparing pre-ordered, family-style meals to be served at home.
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“It’s a huge economic hit, there’s no doubt about it,” co-owner Amy LaBelle said last week.
Overall revenue for the Amherst business — including meals and sales from its wine tasting room — will be down an estimated 80% next Sunday compared to a normal Mother’s Day, said LaBelle, who hopes customers might order a food or wine basket with their meals.

“We consider Mother’s Day, that whole week, as the kickoff to our summer season,” said LaBelle, whose business hosts more than 300 events a year. “In terms of revenue, it’s the first day we feel like we’re pulling out of the winter doldrums.”

Restaurants have reinvented themselves since mid-March, when the state banned dine-in service to help counter COVID-19’s health effects — leading more than 28,000 restaurant and bar workers across the state to seek unemployment.

Last year, relatives brought their mothers and wives to Gauchos Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse in Manchester for a special holiday brunch on the restaurant’s busiest day after Easter.

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