Shifts in Restaurant, Retail Because of Pandemic

Updated: Retail and restaurants around Huntington continue to undergo changes because of the Covid-19 epidemic shutdown and related economic decisions.

Though the Brooks Brothers store at the Walt Whitman Shops appears permanently shut down, a corporate spokesman said Monday that the store is slated to reopen soon. On Wednesday, the chain announced that it had filed for Ch.11 bankruptcy protection.

Across from the clothing store, separated by space overseen by a statue of poet Walt Whitman, Brio restaurant is gone for good. The Huntington Station venue was one of several in the chain that closed down in recent months as restaurants and retail were forced to close or greatly limit their services because of attempts to limit the spread of the virus.

The closing of the  Zinburger restaurant franchise at the mall was  announced as the epidemic spread and hit Northeast states particularly hard. The company shut down nearly all of its East Coast restaurants. 

Downtown, a Dunkin Donuts franchise on Wall Street has closed. “The franchisee also informed us that all of the restaurant employees at this location have been transferred to other locations. We remain fully committed to serving guests in Huntington,” the company said.

And Mac’s Steakhouse cited the Covid-19 epidemic for closing its doors after 12 years. Its website has gone offline. On OpenTable, Mac’s posted, “After 12 years, Mac’s Steakhouse is permanently closed due to the COVID-19 crisis. We are so grateful for all the connections we made, all the families who allowed us into their lives, and our staff who has felt more like family. We are incredibly saddened by these turn of events, and our only regret is that we didn’t get to say goodbye. To our loyal customers, thank you for making each day worth it. We will miss seating you at your favorite table and making your night special.
As our world overcomes this incredibly difficult time, we wish you all health, safety and happiness.”

Inside the mall, the Microsoft store won’t reopen after the company announced plans to close all of its physical stores and move sales and service online.

 

Downtown Businesses Start to Reopen

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