PEABODY — Sarah Narcus and her mom, Ellen Basch, spent about $1 million transforming the long-neglected 1900s Strand movie theater at 43 Main St. into Olio, a spectacular modern industrial event space. Opening in May 2019, its first year was a success: a dozen weddings and another 20-25 bat/bar mitzvahs, corporate meetings, charity fundraisers and the like.
And 2020 got off to a great start, with weddings scheduled nearly every weekend through the fall and bookings for baby showers and other events.
“We were well on our way to profitability,” said Narcus. Then, in March, the coronavirus arrived and Gov. Charlie Baker and his team shut down the state. Strict guidelines have crippled the wedding and event industry, and many venue owners hope they and their businesses are still together come 2021.
Olio is a large wide-open space: 6,000 square feet with an occupancy permit for 500 people. The governor’s team has limited all indoor gatherings to 25 people max. Twenty-five people would barely be noticeable in this gorgeous second-floor space.
“Our tenant downstairs (Maki Sushi Bar and Grill) has much less space but is permitted to seat more people than we are,” said Narcus, who has advocated since May for state guidelines to focus on occupancy numbers rather than a set-in-stone 25 people. Narcus said using a percentage based on occupancy, with tables of six set six feet apart, would increase her limit to some 50+ guests. Not a huge increase, but enough for brides and grooms to have more leeway in trimming their guest lists.
She said State Sen. Joan Lovely and State Rep. Tom Walsh have supported Olio from Day One, but the governor’s team is calling the shots rather than the legislature.
The wedding and event industry has been left waiting at the altar.
“This is a $1.4 billion a year industry, but we seem to have fallen through the cracks,” said Narcus. “Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. The governor’s primary concern is the health and safety of everyone in the commonwealth, just as it should be.”
Narcus said Olio and all North Shore event venues make sure every guest wears a mask and social distancing rules are followed. “We have found that many couples are now holding weddings and parties in backyards, where no masks are worn and there is no social distancing,” she said.
“We should have passed 100 events this year,” said Narcus. Recently a couple from Beverly married at Olio — just them and the officiant. Everyone has a connection to a wedding, unlike, say, to golf or a gambling casino, both of which were allowed to reopen weeks ago.
The city and the state have spent millions to revitalize Peabody’s downtown and attract new business. The changes to Main Street and Peabody Square really are remarkable. Narcus and Basch felt the energy and eagerly chose Peabody over Framingham, Marlborough and other cities. “We saw more than 100 places,” said Narcus. “This and Peabody are special.”
Olio, named after the curtain used in vaudeville theaters, has no commercial kitchen on site. It has no liquor license. Narcus, a wedding planner, and Basch decided brides and grooms were happiest when they could select their own caterer and adult beverages to go along with their DJ and floral arrangements.
The challenge during the pandemic has been a bit less onerous for such long-established venues as yacht clubs, country clubs and waterfront spaces that have earned a reputation for serving excellent food and drink. Their restaurants have eased the financial suffering — but make no mistake, the clubs and popular wedding venues with outdoor spaces are suffering too, having lost tens of thousands of dollars this year.
Last week, the governor reduced the limit on outdoor gatherings from 100 to 50 people, and face coverings are required where more than 10 people from different households will be mixing. Few venues own tents and are set up for outdoor events, limiting them to 25 persons. The governor also indefinitely postponed the state’s advancement to Step 2 of the Phase 3 reopening plan. Wedding venues will not be allowed to return to normal until Phase 4.
Let’s face it, brides should not have to wear masks and wedding guests should not have to wear masks while dancing. Oh yeah, dance floors aren’t allowed under current state guidelines.
Narcus said couples have been remarkably understanding. Dozens of weddings have been postponed, pushed out to 2021 and beyond. Some weddings have been rescheduled twice. But there have been very few cancellations. The day I visited Olio, the mother-daughter team had four appointments to lead brides- and grooms-to-be through the space.
“We’ve seen a big uptick in couples who want to get married in 2022, with so many 2020 weddings getting rescheduled to 2021.”
Narcus and Basch bought the two-story, concrete building for $550,000. They borrowed $1 million in the form of a Small Business Administration loan and secured a second mortgage for $480,000 from the city’s Community Development office. The mother-daughter team contributed 10 percent of the capital. Their loans are in forbearance, which allows them to pay less each month. But the loan still has to be paid off in full.
“We apply for every grant and low-interest loan we can,” said Basch. “And we are taking no salary,” added Narcus. “We are paying our bills and doing our best to stay afloat.”
They are not alone.
Many brides and grooms from the Bay State who want to get married this season are willing to book a weekday wedding instead of the customary weekend party, but in New Hampshire.
Since June 15, New Hampshire indoor venues have been able to host weddings at 50 percent capacity with certain restrictions in place, including masks for staff and frequent cleaning and disinfecting. And dancing is allowed, masks not required.
The Wedding and Event Alliance of Massachusetts, a group of event venues and planners that formed recently, presented a mindful-of-safety four-phase plan to the governor to lessen the burden.They appear to have made little headway, even though the Massachusetts wedding industry supports not only venues but large industries such as lodging, travel, and tourism, along with smaller businesses that provide such services as photography, cake/desserts, catering, and entertainment.
The group petitioned that the guest counts of indoor or outdoor weddings and events be governed by the same rules as restaurants, allowing most venues to be at 40 percent capacity when taking into account social distancing and quantity of guests at a table. More guests would be allowed to attend during each step of their proposal.
“I miss the weddings. I miss our guests,” said Narcus.
