In the last year and a half, the pandemic dealt a severe blow to restaurants in New York City, many of them closing, possibly never opening again.

For Regina Migliucci-Delfino, Covid-19 not only forced the closure of her restaurant, Mario’s, on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, but claimed the life of her father, Joseph, who died on April 6 at age 81, after spending six days in the hospital. “He was my rock,” Regina said during a phone interview. “It was not easy going back to the restaurant.”