Katonah's first library-turned-restaurant shuts down as pandemic impacts small businesses

Katonah's first library, which was then turned into a restaurant, has shut down permanently as the coronavirus pandemic is causing small businesses to close their doors across the U.S.

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The owners of the Katonah Reading Room say they tried to keep staff and get loans. They say there were too few customers and too many financial obligations.

Built in the 1800s, it was the hamlet's first library. Owner Pete Menzies and his wife Gretchen temporarily closed the restaurant in mid-March, hoping to reopen with new safety procedures.

Within a week, they were forced to lay off all 20 employees. Menzies says he and his wife FaceTimed every single employee one-by-one to tell them the news.

"It's like our home, you know, this place feels like our living room," Menzies says. "And to have it shuttered and empty is heartbreaking."

Menzies says his business is the first domino to fall in the town as other businesses are expected to close because of the virus.