A longtime family-run maple syrup company likely won’t be running at full capacity for 2021.
For the first time in more than 35 years, Hunter’s Maple Products and Pancake House was not opened for the first weekend in March.
Owner John Hunter says while they are still operating and are open for pick up, they won’t be opening their restaurant until they feel it’s safe to do so.
“We’ll have to wait and see about eating on the premises until sometime in April,” Hunter said. “We’ll see how the pandemic goes and what we’ll be allowed to do. Right now, I could open up but we’d only be able to have about 15 people in the restaurant, and that’s just not worthwhile.”
Last year, the company had opened the Pancake House for just three weeks before the pandemic forced them to close up for the rest of the year.
Hunter says because the restaurant is a big source of their revenue, it’s impacted his ability to support his family.
He says unless the pandemic ends soon, it’s unlikely they’ll be fully opening it at all this year.
“I doubt we’ll be fully open this year at any rate the way we’re going,” Hunter said. “It looks like it’ll be on into next year before we get back to what we call ‘normal business’. We’re just going to try our best to do what we can to help our customers out.”
Hunter adds that on March 20, they will start offering takeout from the restaurant, and their store remains open on weekends from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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