PORTLAND, Ore. — Higgins, which has been operating in Downtown Portland since 1994, has reopened for indoor dining with 60 indoor seats, more than six feet of space between tables and plexiglass dividers to separate customers from staff.
Owner Greg Higgins said the restaurant is counting on the indoor dining capacity to get through the winter. In March, he had to lay off 65 people, but he's been able to bring back 45.
As the restaurant industry dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, Higgins started with curbside takeout before adding outdoor seating. Now that the weather is getting colder, they're moving inside, with a reduction from 140 indoor seats before the pandemic to 60 now.
Higgins said restaurants need help from the federal government to survive. He said his restaurant was granted a Paycheck Protection Plan loan through the CARES Act.
Now Higgins said he's lobbying hard for The Heroes Act, which includes a Restaurant Revitalization Fund that would include $120 billion for restaurants. That legislation has passed the House and is currently on the floor of the Senate.
"Without those funds, I see 70% of Portland's restaurants going away," Higgins said.