A trio of mainstay Menemsha businesses have been shuttered for close to two years with no official opening days in sight, prompting questions from selectmen this week about the vitality of the picturesque fishing village — as the Dutcher Dock returns to post-pandemic life.

Since 2018, The Bite — a diminutive Basin Road fry shack — has essentially bitten the dust. The Home Port — a full-scale anchor restaurant that dates to the 1930s — has served as little more than a (much-needed) parking lot. And the Menemsha Market remains locked and charred after a devastating fire in the winter of 2019.

Through a variety of challenges big and small, including the fire, as well as worker shortages and septic troubles, all three businesses were unable to open in the summer of 2020, and remain closed again this year.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Menemsha harbor horseshoe, the fishing industry has been revitalized with the opening of the Martha’s Vineyard Seafood Collaborative — a nonprofit seafood wholesaler and distributor focused on supporting independent fishermen who land their catch in Menemsha, bringing sea scallopers, oystermen, commercial fishermen and more back to the Dutcher Dock.

But vibrancy on one side of the harbor belies the quietude on the other side, with the prolonged closure of three crucial commercial spaces leaving a small hole in the heart of the village.

The unusual vacancies were obvious on an early Menemsha morning late last month. The Home Port sat vacant, outdoor tables and chairs still stacked beside the patio like ghosts from a pre-pandemic era. Across the street, the former Menemsha Market was bare as well, boarded up with plywood and encircled by orange fencing. A sign listing Covid safety measures, now expired, stared out at a sole biker pedaling past.

At a meeting of the Chilmark selectmen on Tuesday this week, board members said they had asked to hear from owners of the three shuttered businesses.

“The select board has been fielding questions from town residents concerning The Bite, concerning the Home Port, and concerning the Menemsha Market, which have been not operating for perhaps two to four years,” said board member James Malkin. “We’ve addressed to the owners of those properties, a request to hear from them regarding their plans for these commercial operations.”

Debbie Packer, who owns the Menemsha Market property, responded with a short email, Mr. Malkin said.

“We did receive a note from Deb Packer, who basically said that she was not prepared to discuss her plans at this time,” Mr. Malkin said.

Sarah Nixon, co-owner of the Home Port and The Bite, appearing before the board, provided more detail about plans for the restaurants, saying she hoped to open them as soon as possible. The Home Port was last open in the summer of 2019, while The Bite has been closed since the summer of 2017.

Ms. Nixon pointed to challenges brought on by Covid-19 in explaining the Home Port’s closure in 2020.

“Last year, we couldn’t get workers,” she said. “Like everybody, there was Covid. Things were crazy. And that was kind of the situation.”

She said the challenges had continued this summer, with tradespeople hard to schedule and staff hard to find.

“Our workers just arrived . . . and we couldn’t get the trades there to help us with the plumbing,” Ms. Nixon said. “So those are the facts. That’s the story. We’re eager to try to get things going. But as you know, the world is in a weird place at the moment, and I can only imagine that each and every one of you is dealing with it in your own way.”

The situation at The Bite is a little different, Ms. Nixon said, with the restaurant in need of a new septic system.

“We are waiting on drawings . . . on the new septic system we have to install,” Ms. Nixon said.

Down the road, the Dutcher Dock has been teeming with activity after the pandemic led to the closure of the Menemsha Fish House wholesaler. Peter Lambos, who is running the Seafood Collaborative, said an influx of young fishermen has helped maintain the port’s maritime heritage through the rough Covid months in early 2020.

“We got some new, younger fishermen involved, they got some new boats in the water, some new permits out there,” Mr. Lambos said. “We’re seeing a lot more activity . . . it’s kind of neat to see everything changing, especially after the Covid year last year was like a ghost town.”

Other business owners in the village said the shuttered restaurants and market have had a ripple effect. Emma Bunker, an employee at Pandora’s Box, said she’s seen less foot traffic and incidental shoppers, with fewer people coming to eat dinner at night.

Menemsha Deli owner Cybele Benton McCormick, agreed, saying her husband’s gallery Under The Surface has seen fewer nighttime browsers.

“Not having the Home Port open affects my husband’s business down there . . . because people will come down and wait around for reservations,” Ms. McCormick said. “I think that’s a huge impact on them.”

Despite the concerns, on Tuesday select board member Bill Rossi sympathized with Ms. Nixon’s plight.

“The uncertainties surrounding Covid, the inability to find housing and help, is the response from the Nixons — a little better answer than we got from Debbie Packer at the Menemsha Market,” Mr. Rossi said. “So thank you, and I wish you better luck in the future with getting things done and getting proper help to run a business.”

Maia Coleman contributed reporting.