Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | July 26, 2021 | wbjournal.com e Webster destination e growing town's downtown has thrived through the pandemic, led by an influx of restaurants B efore the coronavirus pan- demic struck, downtown Webster had 19 vacant store- fronts, a number already falling before the health and economic crisis hit. Now, those vacan- cies are down to six. Aided by the town's rising popularity as a place to live and the local government's incentive programs, in the past year alone, five new businesses have opened in downtown Webster, with two more scheduled to open in August, Town Administrator Doug Willardson said. Most of the new Main Street estab- lishments are restaurants, including Monte Bianco, an Italian restaurant which moved from ompson, and Southern-inspired Stave & Still across BY KATHERINE HAMILTON Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer the street. A CBD farmstand and a convenience store are among the new stores balancing out the restaurant-lad- en downtown. "e pandemic in a way helped be- cause it got people looking for different alternatives for employment," Willard- son said. "A lot of people started moving to downtown Webster." In the months following the pandemic coming to Central Massachusetts, un- employment rates hit the highest levels ever recorded, with Greater Worcester reaching 14.7% in April 2020. e hos- pitality industry was among the hardest hit, but it has seen a steep recovery of jobs in the past few months, including 3,000 jobs added in June, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. WEBSTER PHOTOS/MONICA BENEVIDES Manlo Entreprises Inc. Mario's Showplace 147 Thompson Road $1,030,488 N N Lake Pizza Inc. Lake Pizza & Restaurant 39 Thompson Road $312,273 N N Eastern Pearl LLC Eastern Pearl 290 Main St. $202,770 N Y Stave & Still Inc. Stave & Still 131 Main St. $187,463 N Y Polish American Veterans of Webster/Dudley Inc. Polish American Veterans 30 Ray St. $138,430 Y N DOLDRE INC. Tri-State Speedway 21 Town Forest Road $116,353 N Y Kinsley Hospitality Inc. Mohegan Bowl 51 Thompson Road $95,546 N Y Kretschmann Brewing Co. LLC French River Taproom 9 Frederick St. $65,654 N N Natasa Vesovski N/A 22 McGovern Lane $30,272 N Y Source: U.S. Small Business Administration Webster RRF recepients As part of the federal effort to help businesses recover from the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Small Business Administration provided $70 billion through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Nine restaurants in Webster received nearly $2.2 million of that money total. Veteran Woman Business owner Restaurant Address RRF grant -owned? -owned? Wine Studio 51 in downtown Webster received a $10,000 storefront grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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