Business operators in southeastern Connecticut have had to make more than a few tough calls this winter on staying open in the face of an unrelenting series of winter storms.

And many of them say the question of opening or closing comes down to whether their customers and employees are safe on the roads - and, in New London at least, on whether the streets and sidewalks are cleared or a parking ban has been called.

"Always ready to open, but when the parking ban is in effect, customers stay away," said Jack Chaplin, owner of Daddy Jack's restaurant on Bank Street in New London, in response to a Facebook posting Thursday.

He said it was a close call, but he eventually decided to close down Thursday despite having well-stocked refrigerators. Chaplin wasn't alone, as many other businesses in the region either never opened or closed down early.

"Our business … has closed a number of times and suffered greatly as a result of an inability to move about downtown," said Antonio Suarez, owner of Northern Light Gems, talking about his New London location on State Street.

John Van Ness, owner of Spindrift Guitars on State Street, said the conditions are so bad on parts of Bank Street that there is only one passable lane, with cars needing to park far from the curb because of piled-up snow.

"What I don't understand is when streets are closed due to a parking ban, why … can't the trucks and crews remove the snow?" he said. "Isn't that the purpose of the parking ban?"

Candace Devendittis, owner of Dev's on Bank restaurant, was one downtown business operator who vowed not to close in the face of the latest storm.

"We provide a service that people who live downtown may choose to enjoy," she said. "We also open to allow our employees … the opportunity to make their hourly salary to help them pay for their bills."

Concern about customers and employees drove most decisions on whether to open or not, business owners said on Facebook and in telephone interviews.

Both the Dog Walk Café and Noah's Restaurant in Stonington closed early Thursday after managers heard from customers about worsening conditions.

"I'm actually having a decent lunch right now," said Shannon DePerry, manager of Noah's. "But once people are home, they're staying at home."

Food establishments like Noah's that attract a largely local clientele and foot traffic were more likely to open than those reliant entirely on drive-by business, restaurant operators said.

"We do a decent business on snow days … it's definitely worth being open," said Chris Sherman, co-owner of the Washington Street Coffee House in New London, though on Thursday, for the second or third time this winter, the restaurant closed early because of the weather.

Susan Devlin, co-owner of Muddy Waters Café in New London, said she feels a bit of an obligation to open because the restaurant has become so integral to the community. The last time the coffeehouse closed down during a blizzard, she said, her phone recorded at least 15 missed calls from people wanting to place orders or find out if it was open.

"We do like to get in there and open up," she said, noting Thursday in the early afternoon that she had six tables filled. "We don't want to let anyone down."

Ken Coffee, owner of Coffee's Country Market on Boston Post Road in Old Lyme, said he was operating Thursday with half a crew but still felt an obligation to open, partly because the neighborhood depended on him being there. He added that Connecticut Light & Power Co. crews have made it a habit of ordering from his market during storms and that business wasn't too far off what he does in better weather.

"We definitely err on the side of trying to stay open," he said.

And storms bring on demand for coffee and comfort food, Coffee and others said. A staple at his market is egg sandwiches, as well as soups.

"It tastes better when it's snowing out," he laughed.

Other businesses have been more affected by the snow. Reid Burdick, longtime employee of Byles Memorial Home in New London, said the physical work of clearing parking lots and sidewalks has been taxing and costly.

Judith Caracausa, owner of Market Realty in Mystic, said she has had to reschedule several real estate showings this winter because of the snow.

"I cannot put my clients or myself at risk of falling or some kind of weather-related incident," she said. "My all-wheel-drive vehicle is a must for real estate."

The long and snowbound winter, which led Chelsea Groton Bank to close early Thursday at all 14 of its locations, also has led some seasonal businesses to push back their normal openings. Fred's Shanty in New London, the riverside clam shack on Pequot Avenue, won't reopen until March 14 - a few days later than normal, manager Jordan Whipple said, because of concerns about the weather.

Some companies such as Electric Boat, with its New London operations not far from Fred's Shanty, have severe weather policies. Pete Halvordson, vice president of operations, said a facilities group makes recommendations about appropriate actions in a given storm, though EB's president has the final say.

"Generally, we assess if we can make the facility safe for production and for people," Halvordson said. "If we can make it safe for people to work, we'll make every effort to stay open."

An EB employee policy allows some flexibility in cases of bad weather to allow employees extra time to travel to work safely and accommodate personal needs, with approval from their manager.

EB canceled several shifts during the blizzard that hit the region at the end of January.

But in some cases the show must go on, in spite of the snow.

At the Garde Arts Center in New London, executive director Steve Sigel said he has to weigh a number of factors before deciding if a weather cancellation makes sense.

"The first thing is whether a company or artist can get here," Sigel said. "I can only remember one time when the artist was in the building and we still canceled. We had a sold-out house for Tanya Tucker. But the weather was terrible and the governor had closed the highways, and she said she didn't want to put fans in jeopardy and that she'd come back and do another show - which is in itself very unusual."

Tour routing is also a factor because it may not be possible for an artist or traveling production to make up the date and Sigel said he has to use common sense and consider the forecasts.

There are also contractual elements like so-called "Act of God" clauses, where entertainers and promoters are protected from liability if a performance is canceled due to weather or disaster.

Sigel added that it's important to remember the audience, too.

"We're always very aware of our customers, who've paid money to see something important to them," he said. If the show goes on, those who can make it to the theater are always thrilled. But if they can't, we offer credit towards future events or the option to donate."

For most small business owners, the idea of the show going on makes even more sense. Many of them, like Rich Martin, owner of The Telegraph record store in New London, live close by and need to spend time at their workplaces whether customers arrive or not.

"Sometimes snow days can be busy since other folks have been given the day off unexpectedly, so it's always worth spending time at the shop," Martin said. "Plus, there's always work to be done in a small business like ours (even) if no one comes through the front door."

Keith Turner, a mortgage loan specialist for McCue Mortgage in New London, can relate. In his two-person office, Turner feels an obligation to his clients who expect to close on new homes, no matter what the weather. "I always make it in," Turner said. "If it snows, that just means I get in earlier to shovel."

While young business owners like Turner vow to make it through all types of weather, at least one former restaurant owner with decades of experience is glad to finally be done with worrying about when the next storm will dump half a foot of snow on the region.

Said Anita Goldstein Miller, longtime operator of the defunct Goldy's restaurant on Colman Street: " I can tell you I'm thrilled that Goldy's is closed. Because this would have been a nightmare of a winter."

Staff writers Julia Bergman and Rick Koster also contributed to this report.

l.howard@theday.com

Twitter: @KingstonLeeHow