Business

MarylandReporter.com spoke with Restaurant Association of Maryland President and CEO Marshall Weston on Monday to get an update on how that industry is faring in the face of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions which limit occupant capacity. Weston addressed topics such as the recent lifting of the statewide dining curfew, improving health metrics, the need for fiscal stimulus, and the future of the industry. Weston: I think that restauranteurs are optimistic with the reports in the media of more vaccines coming and more vaccinations actually happening. The weather certainly has not cooperated over the past several weeks. But when restaurants look ahead I think they are optimistic that more of the restrictions are going to be lifted and that they are going to have an opportunity to get on the road to recovery hopefully sometime this spring.

Just two years after pivoting the focus of her floral business from retail to events, Lori Himes, owner of Abloom in Walkersville, was forced to pivot right back to retail because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Himes, who has owned the shop for more than 25 years, kept the business afloat and her employees on payroll by focusing on flower deliveries — something that saw a resurgence during the pandemic, with loved ones required to stay away from one another. Usually, most of her income is from weddings and funerals, both of which were much harder to coordinate in 2020.

Last summer, as the number of COVID-19 cases was spiraling, two U.S. senators introduced what was known as the “Safe to Work Act.” Designed to protect businesses and other enterprises from what was seen as an explosion of “insubstantial” pandemic-related lawsuits brought by their employees and meant to be part of the stimulus package, the effort failed. But the issue remains. And now Maryland, like many other states, is grappling with the question of just how much protection from pandemic-related lawsuits businesses need and deserve.

The CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond said Monday he expects the economy in the first quarter to be “bumpy” and then improve steadily as Covid-19 vaccines become more widely distributed. Tom Barkin provided his take during a fireside chat hosted by the Maryland Bankers Association where he touched on a number of issues related to the economy and the banking industry. He told some 180 bankers watching the virtual event that he will be closely watching what happens to spending patterns and inflation because people have saved so much money in their bank accounts during the pandemic.

Maryland is currently considering legislation that would ban single-use plastic bags. But some say the pandemic is complicating things. Retailers in Maryland say a nationwide shortage of paper bags could make banning plastic bags difficult. Some manufacturers have switched from making paper bags to making personal protective equipment since the pandemic. “They’re not capable of producing either paper or reusable bags at a level that we’re going to need to get to here really quickly,” said Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Association.

A Maryland dance studio is using movement and the arts to educate and celebrate during Black History Month. Ever wanted to try ballet, African or jazz dance? Maryland Youth Ballet in Silver Spring is offering free and low-cost virtual dance classes with a focus on history and education for Black History Month. This is its second annual event and the virtual options have expanded this year.

A young chef in Montgomery County has found a sweet way to give back. It’s called Cupcakes With Purpose. Jay Rosenthal started the business back in 2019, combining his love of baking with his desire to give back. For every order of cupcakes purchased, he lets his customers chose a charity of their choice to give back to.