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V O L . X X X N O. X I I I J U N E 1 0 , 2 0 2 4 18 L E W I S T O N / A U B U R N / W E S T E R N M A I N E F O C U S M ore than seven months after the mass shoot- ings, Lewiston restaurants are still struggling to regain their customer base and make the dining scene as comfortable as possible for their patrons. Melinda Small, co-owner of Legends Sports Bar & Grill, which has struggled since the incident, has seen more customers start to come back, including a young man who was wounded in the Oct. 25, 2023, violence. "One night we had a group come in and ask for one of our tables out back, near our double glass doors that lead outside. I told him, 'Of course, and he said his group was celebrating,'" says Small. "It was so good to hear those words. I went over and asked what they were celebrating and they pointed to a tall young man and told me that this was his first time out since the shooting and he was one of the victims. So, I went by his side and said, 'I promise you that you will be safe and I am so proud of your courage.' I said, 'I will sit with you, talk to you and do whatever I need to do to make sure that you have a successful night.'" at young man, whom she did not name, comes in weekly. The night and day after e night of the shootings, a gunman killed 18 peo- ple and injured 13 between two spots, Just-in-Time Recreation, at 24 Mollison Way, and Schemengees Bar & Grille, at 551 Lincoln St. Even for the restaurants that were not directly involved, life was changed dramatically that night. At Fish Bones Grill, in Bates Mill No. 6, owner Paul Landry recalls police surging in and inform- ing customers of what was going on elsewhere in the city. Police evacuated the building and escorted patrons to their cars. "When it happened, we were immediately told to shut down and lock down," Landry says. "We left everything how it was, minus shutting down the equip- ment in the kitchen." ings were even more pressing at Legends Sports Bar & Grill, at 4 Mollison Way, two doors from Lewiston restaurants are trying to make a comeback We just open our doors every day waiting for people to pop in. I think a lot of it is opening your doors and making people feel as welcome and comfortable as we can. There are a lot of people that are still concerned. — Paul Landry Fish Bones Grill Paul Landry, chef and owner of Fish Bones Grill, said business has been slow to recover. P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R How dining establishments have worked to get customers back in after the October shootings B y A l e x i s W e l l s

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