April 3, 2020 — Late last week Zack Dixon, co-owner of Holbrook Oyster, in Wellfleet, was spending his time filling out a small business loan application and fielding phone and text orders for what he hopes will be a successful new undertaking.
Everything had come “screeching” to a halt on March 15, when Gov. Charlie Baker said restaurants could only do take-out.
“That’s not a figure of speech,” said Dixon. “Sales went to zero. I had deliveries set up for the next day and they were like, ‘No’.”
Restaurants, no longer allowed to serve patrons inside, are taking a beating from the Covid-19 pandemic, and businesses like Holbrook, which has grown oysters since 1995, are heavily dependent on people eating out.
Holbrook, started by the Dalby brothers, who are sixth generation Wellfleetians, quickly switched to a new model, mainly to keep as many people working as they could and to spread some community cheer in the form of the nutritious bivalve.
With the new model, people place an order and Holbrook delivers, anywhere from Provincetown to Orleans free of charge, farther for a small fee. (If you’re interested in this service, call 774-722-1788 or email zack@holbrookoyster.com)