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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 2 0 H O S P I TA L I T Y / T O U R I S M ey finished the renovations, including a walk- up window on the porch, in mid-June. e next step is lawn tables. ey plan to open for diners before the Fourth of July. ey'll also offer homemade ice cream, beverages and sandwiches to walk-up custom- ers. e restaurant has a new name, the Causeway and Clark Bar. Early concern Lauren Soutiea has a master's degree in public health and spent more than a decade in public health data and research analysis. In late February, she became con- cerned about the spread of the coronavirus. She says, "I wasn't freaking out or anything, but…" "She was freaking out," Greg says, with a laugh. Lauren knew that if the virus spread as predicted, it could affect travel and the inn's revenue. She called the bank, but their lender wasn't concerned. It was still on the Soutieas' minds, though, and when they were forced to shut down in March, they were prepared. "We decided right away we had to keep it shut down and renovate the restaurant," Greg says. ey enlisted a designer friend, as well as Lauren's parents — her father is a retired woodworker — and did the work themselves, adding a small bar, tearing up the carpet and redoing the floors, painting and adding wainscoting, and the outdoor service window. Time to do something different When it became clear in May that the state's reopening was going to be a slow process for the hospitality indus- try, "We said, 'OK, we're going to have to do something different,'" says Hewett-Gordon, of the Nonantum. Sicinski, the chef, "dreamed it, and we built it." Marshall Rentals in Kittery, which had six 10-by- 10 tents available. e Nonantum snatched them up. ere were also large tents available, and the resort is using one for the outdoor kitchen. e town government extended options for out- door dining, including waiving the ordinance that only allowed tents to be up for 30 days. e original plan was to use outdoor dining to add space to indoor dining, which has strict capacity limits. But that plan was derailed in late May when the state put restrictions on indoor dining in York, Cumberland and Androscoggin counties. e Nonantum staff crossed their fingers that it would be a nice summer. While the indoor dining restriction was recently lifted for the three counties, Hewett-Gordon says the outdoor restaurant is still the focus and things will only move indoors if the weather is bad. Looking closer to home e Soutieas had big plans, pre-pandemic. In February they got a grant that would cover 25% of a solar instal- lation. at was going to be the first big project. ey have a two-year window if they want the grant money, but they have no idea if they'll be able to do it by then. ey also planned a greenhouse on the lawn, a way to grow more of their own vegetables for the restaurant. Since March they've had to return more than $10,000 in reservation deposits and several weddings for this summer have been canceled. It's the same story at the Nonantum. Usually this time of year, before summer business really heats up in July, the 109-room inn is at 75% occupancy. In mid-June it was 6%. A slew of weddings have been canceled, Hewett-Gordon says. Out-of-staters must either quarantine in-state for 14 days before they can book a room, or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont residents can stay at Maine inns without restriction, but Hewett- Gordon and the Soutieas said those states account for a tiny percentage of their market. Both places, like many in the state, have upped their marketing to those close to home, offering discounts and more. Both inns got Payroll Protection Program loans from the federal CARES Act. "It allows us to do what we're doing," says Hewett-Gordon. Greg Soutiea says if they hadn't gotten one, and the term for it to become a grant hadn't been extended, "we wouldn't be here right now." 'People need to trust us' Both places, like many inns, hotels, motels and res- taurants, are also stressing they have health and safety measures that go beyond the state's checklist for lodg- ing, required to be open to customers. Kennebunkport developed its own safety badge system, and the Nonantum is following all the rules to the letter in an industry that's traditionally required to focus more on health than most others, Hewett- Gordon says. "If we weren't clean, people wouldn't stay with us," she says. She is not alone in being frustrated by the quarantine and testing requirements for out-of-staters. "People need to trust us," she says. e Soutieas are requiring masks in public areas, as well as a slew of other health and safety measures. "If people don't feel comfortable with that, then we're not the place for them," Greg says. ere are positive signs. Lauren recently told a guest coming from North Carolina about the testing requirement, and they responded that they were already intending to get one. She says she hopes as other states up testing, it won't be a big issue. Becoming permanent e Nonantum and Craignair plan to make the out- door dining options permanent. Hewett-Gordon says she hopes that other busi- nesses will find similar solutions. "Don't be afraid to be flexible," she says. Hewins, of HospitalityMaine, says many businesses that are doing something new will keep doing it once the crisis has passed. "I think many of these ideas will become important parts of the post-COVID hospitality world," he says. Hewett-Gordon says, though, the focus now is to make it to fall, when many hospitality businesses hope increased visitor traffic will salvage something from the lost summer. e outdoor dining has been "a joy," she says. "But it sustains, it doesn't replace." e Soutieas were concerned guests would be stressed by the health and safety measures. So far, though, guests have told them that they're finally able to relax. e couple has wondered many times since March whether leaving their corporate life in Boston to buy an inn on the Maine coast was worth it. ey'd run through disaster scenarios, but nothing like this. "But we're here," Greg says, shrugging. Lauren adds, "I'm really proud of what we've done. We hope we've created a place where guests feel safe and comfortable, and they can escape." Hewett-Gordon says it would have been easy to just shut the Nonatum down for the duration. "But this gives people a glimmer of hope that there's a light at the end of the tunnel," she says. Even more important, the dining cabanas are an oasis. "e rest of the world is crazy, but when they're here, things seem normal." M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t m m i l l i k e n @ m a i n e b i z . b i z P H O T O / M A U R E E N M I L L I K E N Lauren and Greg Soutiea, owners of the Craignair Inn by the Sea, have renovated to allow outdoor dining. F O C U S

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