Hanover businesses have reported slower business and reduced services due to a nationwide snowstorm, which is expected to bring 12 to 18 inches of snow to New Hampshire, according to the New York Times. Bernice A. Ray Elementary School, Frances C. Richmond Middle School and Hanover High School will be closed on Jan. 26 due to the storm, according to WMUR.
Dartmouth Dining closed the Courtyard Cafe and Ramekin Cafe on Sunday and Monday “due to the storm and for the safety of our staff,” according to a campus-wide email.
Several Hanover business owners reported that the weather affected the amount of business they received. Dirt Cowboy barista Casey Roberge, who lives in Meriden, N.H., said the snow “definitely lessened” business at the cafe on Sunday.
Ramunto’s general manager Danielle Paro said the restaurant was “quieter than normal” due to local youth hockey practices being cancelled.
“Because we’re downtown, and it’s easy to walk for students, we’ll stay open as late as we can, as late as it’s safe,” she said.
BocaSoca employee Victoria Gaskin, a Grantham, N.H., resident, said the restaurant closed food deliveries early on Sunday night for the safety of drivers.
“It’s been a lot slower than usual, not a lot of people coming in,” she said.
Gaskin added that she was worried about getting home after work on Sunday. Umpleby’s Bakery and Cafe line cook and Hanover resident Kathy Marshall said some employees went home early to avoid driving in the snow and that it was “slower than usual.”
“On Sunday, it’s usually jam-packed,” Marshall said.
Paro said Ramunto’s also “made arrangements” for employees who live far from Hanover. However, Paro, who lives in Lebanon, said she was not worried about getting home.
John Haas, whose wife owns the Lemon Tree store in town, agreed that business was slower on Sunday but still brought in customers.
“It’s definitely slower than normal, but we still have people who are wandering in, because they want to be out and about a little bit and play in the snow, and since our doors are open, they’re coming in,” Haas said.
Iris WeaverBell ’28 is a senior news reporter, writing about free speech at the College. She is from Portland, Ore., and is majoring in economics and minoring in public policy.
