How local businesses have responded to the pandemic

PHOTO: Armadillo Music, a local Downtown Davis business, is temporarily closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. The store has shifted to online business and is updating its social media with information on how to support it.

By Soraya Fattahi,

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

Ever since the shelter-in-place mandate was ordered on March 17, businesses in Downtown Davis have been struggling to reopen and adjust to the new City guidelines.

Before the pandemic, many businesses in Downtown Davis were preparing for their busiest season, May to October. The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is greatly affecting how all downtown businesses function.

Many businesses have had to shut down completely or radically change their business model because many rely on being able to see and interact with customers for their business. 

Blanche McNaughton, co-owner of FitHouse on G street closed her business on March 14 before the county mandate.

FitHouse provides a variety of yoga and circuit fit classes for their customers that mostly rely on touch, and it was difficult for customers to get the exact same experience now that they’re no longer able to come into the studio.

“We responded to the closure initially just wanting to keep our community intact,” McNaughton said.  

In the beginning of the closure, FitHouse provided customers with Instagram live classes. Once they realized that the shutdown would last longer than expected and they still had bills to pay, FitHouse moved to having classes on Facebook live for a small fee. 

“There was no choice now, there was no more talking, we had to do it,” McNaughton said. 

FitHouse has moved to additional classes online for the time being, and possibly continuing online classes after the stay-at-home orders are no longer enforced, to keep intact with their customer base.

Restaurant businesses in Downtown Davis are also struggling because of the shelter-in-place mandate. In addition to food preparation becoming more difficult, restaurants usually rely on customers being able to come in and sit down for a lot of their business.

Tom Jobst, owner of Tommy J’s Grill & Catering in Downtown Davis, is very aware of the strain the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has put on his business.

“I think it’s just hard to adapt to the new model. This has never happened in our lifetime. We have to be really creative with what we do to get business,” Jobst said. 

Jobst has seen a severe decline in business since the beginning of the stay-at-home orders and has had to shift his business model in order to maintain business. Tommy J’s now advertises their online-order business on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.

Tommy J’s and other restaurants in Davis have now switched to online ordering with curb-side pickup in order to limit contact with customers. They’ve also taken the necessary precaution in food prep areas by having less employees, and no contact with the food in preparation in order to decrease risk of transmitting the disease. 

Downtown Davis businesses have had to cut down their number of employees currently working due to less business and less revenue. This has put a strain on many employees of Davis businesses.

Recently, the Downtown Davis Business Association and the Small Business Administration have put programs in place to help local businesses in Davis and around the nation. 

The DDBA is working with the City of Davis on a gifting stimulus program to infuse $100,000 into Davis Businesses by price matching gift cards purchased at each business up to $50,000. 

“This campaign is designed to support businesses right now and in real time during the shelter in place,” said Brett Maresca, executive director of Davis Downtown.

The SBA has also implemented the Payroll Protection Program, which is designed to supply small businesses with retention loans to provide eight weeks of payroll in order to get their employees back to work. 

“I’m glad to see that the city is trying to support us,” Jobst said. 

However not all businesses qualify for the PPP. For Downtown Davis businesses applying with a national bank, getting relief was a more common problem. Businesses applying with a local bank were more likely to qualify.