On a recent Saturday afternoon, the typically traffic-clogged Moody Street in Waltham, Massachusetts sat eerily quiet. 

 

It was a strange change in pace for an area that normally bustles with brunch-goers, grocery shoppers and families taking afternoon strolls on rare, warm, New England, spring days.

 

Now, however, silence fills the space where the sounds of car engines used to reign. Sheets of printer paper hang on every shop entrance, listing instructions on how shoppers should maintain distance.

​

"Do to the current situation, we only allow one person inside at a time. Please wait outside. Thank you so much," read one taped to the door of Pho 1 Waltham, a casual Asian fusion spot. 

 

This is the new normal.

​

After the coronavirus pandemic forced Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to issue a stay-at-home order on March 23, Moody Street’s over 30 locally owned restaurants shuttered their doors to patrons. Some quickly began to offer takeout and delivery options, some began serving limited menus and a few started selling groceries. Still, others made the difficult decisions to temporarily shutdown entirely.

 

These restaurants are far from alone. Moody Street is one of countless downtown districts across the United States reeling from changes brought on by the virus. The restaurant industry experienced more sale and job losses than any other industry, a survey from the National Restaurant Association found. Over two-thirds of the nations 15 million restaurant workers are out of work because of the coronavirus, even with many restaurants still offering delivery and takeout services.  

​

Like so many victims of the coronavirus, these restaurants are in a fight for survival. Here are dispatches from Waltham’s “restaurant row." Click through, watch and listen to their stories.