Just more than a week after the Boston Marathon bombings and the subsequent investigation began, Boston officials reopened Copley Square Tuesday, allowing employees to return to their businesses and residents to reenter their homes.

John Rao, manager of Snappy Sushi on Newbury Street, said people were discouraged from eating at his restaurant because of the damage caused by the bombings.

“We’ve been affected because people don’t really want to sit down next to there [Boylston Street] on the patio,” he said. “There are also just not that many people walking by.”

Despite the lack of business, Rao said he was appreciative of those working to clean up the city.

“They’re doing a great job and we would like them to take as much time as they want because the main thing is that they get everything cleaned up and back to normal as soon as possible,” he said. “If it takes longer, then it takes longer.”

To help Copley Square recover, which suffered most of the destruction from the bombings, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino outlined a five-phase plan with goals for reopening the area entirely to all people by testing internal building assessments and removing debris, according to a Sunday press release.

“While Boylston Street will remain closed to traffic and the general public, business owners and residents will be allowed to return to their places of business and homes prior to the public’s return,” Menino said in a letter Monday to business owners and residents.

As the plan unfolds, the Boston Police Department will be respectful of all the memorials and other personal items at the scene, according to the release.

Some employees of Newbury Street said the closing of the Copley area had a detrimental effect on their businesses.

Julia Schifini, 20, an employee at Trident Booksellers and the New England Historic Genealogical Society, said she was frustrated the area was not open to the general public Tuesday.

“I work at two businesses on Newbury Street that are both a block away from each of the bombs,” she said. “They lost the revenue from the week that they were not open … but even when businesses reopen, the general public will avoid the area for a while.”

Schifini said it is important for Menino to reopen the area for the sake of local businesses.

“The faster the mayor opens up Copley Square to the general public,” she said, “the sooner the businesses can recover.”

Jesse McDade, 29, an employee at Newbury Comics, said although the closing of Copley was bad for business, his primary concern was the safety of his employees.

“Being the street over [from the bombings], luckily we were out of the most serious [damage],” he said. “What I was most concerned about was that the staff was able to get out safely and that no one from around here was too seriously injured.”

Jenna Carter, 21, a student at Newbury College who lives in Brookline, said she is eager to be able to walk and shop around Copley soon.

“I don’t think people from around Boston are going to be freaked out about going there because we have to live out our lives,” she said. “But maybe people from outside the city might be afraid.”