For small businesses in East Boston, sales lag during Sumner Tunnel closure

Some businesses in East Boston report they've seen sales take a hit while the Sumner Tunnel has been closed for repair work this summer.

Dalila Vargas owns a small East Boston cafe, Toasted Flats, just a few blocks from the tunnel and within walking distance of Logan International Airport. The Sumner is one of the main routes for vehicles traveling from the airport and Eastie into downtown Boston.

Vargas's customers typically include airport workers, she said, and people stopping in for a quick bite before a flight. But since the tunnel closed at the beginning of July, Vargas said sales have declined. She blames the road congestion.

“They won't make a stop in East Boston because they're already running late because of the traffic,” she said.

In normal times, more than 39,000 cars per day travel through the tunnel, according to the state Department of Transportation. The tunnel is expected to reopen Aug. 5, but weekend closures will continue through the fall — and those, too, have created some major traffic jams over the past two years.

Vargas isn’t alone in experiencing slower business during tunnel shutdowns. The Massachusetts Restaurant Association says eateries in East Boston have reported a 20% loss of sales during weekends the tunnel has been closed for repairs.

Miguel Vargas (unrelated to Delila Vargas) is the executive director of East Boston Main Streets. He said he hasn’t heard about “any negative impacts” from business owners as a result of this summer’s closure so far. But during last summer's two-month-long closure, businesses initially reported 25% to 50% sales declines, with smaller businesses taking the biggest hits.

He also said businesses rebounded as the weeks went on and people got used to navigating the closures.

Miguel Vargas said a positive outcome of the closure could be that people who live in East Boston stay in the area to avoid traffic and end up supporting local businesses and restaurants.

“They order out, they go to local restaurants rather than driving around, so I think that is a big help,” he said.