Episode 3: Beyond the Summer Season – How the Bridges Shape Cape Cod’s Service Economy

Welcome to episode three of Bridge the Gap, your go-to source for factual, locally driven discussion on one of the largest infrastructure projects facing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In this episode, co-hosts Matt Pitta (Director of Communications at The Davenport Companies) and Paul Niedzwiecki (CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce) explore how the Sagamore and Bourne Bridges shape the hospitality and food service economy on Cape Cod. This episode features special guests Parth Patel, owner of Freebird Motor Lodge and Uncommoner Hotel, and Paulo Paraguay, owner of Palio Pizzeria, Side Door Bagels, and Kandy Korner. They discuss what it takes to operate seasonal and year-round businesses on a peninsula with limited access, and how bridge congestion, reliability, and long-term infrastructure planning affect everything from employee recruitment and retention to supply chains, delivery schedules, and customer demand. Patel and Paraguay share firsthand insights into how the Cape Cod Bridges influence workforce mobility, operating costs, and investment decisions — and why dependable access is essential not just during the busy summer season, but every day of the year.