Since strict foodservice restrictions were put in place last March 17, at least 200 New Hampshire restaurants have closed, according to the NH Lodging and Restaurant Association. And, as Covid-19 drags into winter with temperatures not conducive to outdoor dining, many restaurants continue to struggle. So, in an effort to help them, the association has launched the Rally for NH Restaurants Campaign for February and March.

The campaign, which has a website and is on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, provides ways for residents and visitors to support local restaurants while also staying safe during the pandemic.

Dining in “is the No. 1 most helpful way to support restaurants and their staff,” according to the campaign website, since it employs waitstaff and provides them with revenue from tips, which are not as common through takeout.

The website also describes other things restaurants are doing to make sure customers opting to dine stay healthy, such as contactless or disposable menus and daily health screenings for all employees. And it recommends tipping even for those not dining in.

“Tipped staff across the state have been impacted by reduced hours and fewer guests and seasonal tourists, in many cases devastating their incomes,” the website notes.

Before the pandemic, the restaurant and foodservice industry accounted for around 10% of the state’s workforce and had more than 65,000 individual workers, according to the National Restaurant Association. Thousands of these workers have been let go or had their hours reduced. — KATIE HOPPLER