Businesses across the Tri-County area adjust to differing restrictions

The novel coronavirus has landed a huge blow to the restaurant and retail industries not just in southeast Iowa but around the country and the world. Each one has responded in its own unique way, trying to earn revenue without being able to host customers at its tables. Even though Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has relaxed regulations on restaurants in 77 counties including Jefferson but not Henry or Washington counties, such as allowing them to reopen at 50 percent capacity, a number of them don't think they'll be able to. Reynolds announced another round of relaxed rules to take effect on businesses in the 22 hardest hit counties beginning Friday, but restaurants were not included. They do, however, apply to malls and retail stores, which must limit capacity to 50 percent and make sure social distancing measures are implemented and followed by employees and customers.

In Fairfield, information compiled by the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce shows that several restaurants have closed completely. Some tried to make a go of it with carry out orders in the early weeks of the pandemic in March, but more and more are opting to shut their doors until the virus passes.

Sharon Stinogel, owner of Ila, said she's been closed for over a month. She said sales at her restaurant began to slow down in early March, before the Governor ordered an end to dining in. March 15 was the last day Ila or any restaurant could have customers sit and eat in the café. The restaurant then had to switch to a carry-out only model, which it tried for a couple of days before Stinogel realized it was not sustainable. Ila has been closed ever since, but Stinogel hopes to reopen it on May 15.

'I have to look at how to set up the restaurant,” she said. 'We'll have to get hand sanitizing stations, and disinfectant for all the tables.”

Stinogel said the biggest hurdle now is finding employees. While she was shut down, about one-quarter of her workforce left to take other jobs. Another concern she has is that Fairfield is surrounded by counties 'that should be shut down” because of their confirmed COVID-19 cases.

'Are those people going to come here to go out to eat? I don't know. It's a little scary,” she said.

Working twice as hard

Maya Busscher of Bountiful Bakery in Fairfield said her business never closed during the pandemic, although it did suffer from a considerable slowdown like most other businesses did in March. When Gov. Reynolds announced that schools would be closed effective March 16, Busscher lost half her staff, who had to stay home to care for their children.

'We were only open a couple of hours over lunch,” she said. 'Before that, we were hoping to extend our hours, but that wasn't feasible with limited staff.”

Busscher said the bakery asked its customers to preorder goods, so the staff would know how many of each item to bake.

'When supplies are short, it doesn't make sense to bake a ton of stuff every day if you don't know whether it will sell,” Busscher said.

Busscher said the bakery's sales dropped 80 percent in the early phase of the pandemic. The business has recuperated since then and its sales have returned to normal, but only through the herculean effort of its staff.

'We had a record-breaking sale one day in the last two weeks,” Busscher said. 'And we're having to work twice as hard to get those numbers. I'm working 18 hours a day even on the days we're closed, because I'm having to run around to get supplies.”

Busscher has to jump through one hoop after another for the most basic ingredients. For instance, one night she drove all the way to Des Moines just to have butter for the following morning.

'We're paying retail for everything in our shop,” she said. 'We're not getting a wholesale discount. People are running out of supplies, too. A cream cheese delivery was supposed to come today but didn't, and nobody knows why.”

Busscher said the bakery does not plan to reopen its dining room even though it is now allowed to, because the business has had to convert the dining room into workspace and storage. It's had to reconfigure its bakery, moving the pastries behind the counter since patrons can no longer serve themselves.

Busscher added that her business has received no help from any of the stimulus programs or payroll supplements the government has issued.

'We were denied for everything we applied for,” she said. 'We've received literally zero help, other than what we've gotten from our amazing employees and customers.”

Catering down 80 percent

Tony Baker, owner of Sweet ‘n Saucy in Fairfield and Walt's Taproom in Mt. Pleasant, said the first few weeks of the pandemic in Iowa were very rough on his businesses.

'People were scared. They weren't going out,” he said.

In addition to those two restaurants, Baker and his family run a catering business.

'We went a full month without a catering job,” Baker said. 'We've gotten a few since then, but overall I'd say our catering is still down 80 percent off what it was.”

Baker said he's been able to survive on carry out orders, which have returned to nearly normal levels on the weekends.

'Our carry out business is booming on Friday and Saturday, but the rest of the week is pure garbage,” he said.

Baker said his two biggest challenges now are a lack of workers due to his employees having to stay home with children, and the evolving meat shortage. He said he could see the 'writing on the wall” about what was happening in meat markets, and filled his freezer early. And he's glad he did, because three of his suppliers have told him they are out of brisket and pork, his two biggest selling items.

'We have ribs this week, but I'm not sure if I'll have them next week,” Baker said. 'Pork prices have doubled, and beef prices have nearly doubled. We had to increase our per-pound price for meat, but not the price of our sandwiches. But if prices continue to rise, I may have to. We're going to avoid that as long as we can.”

Baker said the restaurant in Fairfield is generating about 75 percent the revenue it normally would, and the one in Mt. Pleasant has been hit even harder, running at about 50 percent.

Baker said he does not plan to open his restaurants to foot traffic even though he is allowed to. He said he would have to reconfigure the restaurant to eliminate the self-service features, and it's too much work. Instead, he plans to continue the carry-out model.

Mt. Pleasant's community support

While restaurants in Mt. Pleasant have taken a hit due to closures, community support and a transition to take-out orders has sustained local businesses.

Tony Baker's daughter and wife, Shannan and Norma Baker, run Walt's Taproom. The pair said they were initially worried when news of restrictions hit. Shannan explained their restaurant did not previously have a large take-out base, which only made up less than a quarter of their orders. Though their in-person dining numbers haven't quite completely translated to delivery and take-out orders, it's enough that Shannan and Norma know their restaurant will weather the COVID storm.

As the chef, Shannan has changed up her menu a little and is now aiming to make 'comfort food that people don't want to cook at home.”

'People love lasagna but people don't like to cook lasagna,” Shannan said. The new menu item has sold out already every Thursday since the chef began selling it.

One big challenge Shannan said she has faced is getting inventory. With the price of certain meats rising or certain food items simply being out of stock, she has had to look for alternatives at local grocery stores rather than through her usual food vendors.

'Sometimes, it's whatever I can get at Walmart or Aldi,” Shannan said.

All on her own

Like Walt's, Tina Mathews, owner of Jefferson Street Grill in Mt. Pleasant said her restaurant looks like it will make it through this business slow-down.

To make it through the closures, Mathews has had to let go of her employees and is completing all take-out orders on her own. Her plan is to rehire everyone once business is back to normal.

Mathews echoed Shannan's struggles in getting inventory, especially in light of meat packaging plants closing down due to the spread of the virus.

'A lot of the Tyson products are now out of stock and meat prices have gone up in general, which has created another challenge,” she said.

Even with the slow reopening of dining businesses, Mathews said she's not completely sure how her restaurant would be able to meet some of the restrictions because of her galley-style seating area.

'We don't have a lot of room to keep that six feet in play. Only time will tell,” she said.

But even through the difficult time, Mathews noted the community support has been outstanding, both with customers and fellow business owners.

'The community has been outstanding. Everyone has really made an effort to support the business in town. Without them, we wouldn't make it,” she added.

For nonessential businesses like retailers, the pandemic has been an especially hard hit.

As the shutdown has continued, retailers in Mt. Pleasant have moved to appointment-only systems and continued to find creative ways to reach customers, even in the face of closures.

'It's pretty tough times. We're trying to do what we can to generate sales,” Sam Riepe, owner of The Vintage Raven, said. This has included posting more often online as well as collaborating with other local businesses to display purchasable items.

'We do rely on that foot traffic. Lots of times, people don't know what they want until they come in. It really hurts us,” Riepe explained.

But even with the potential reopening of Henry County on May 15, Riepe said, as a store owner, he also wants to make sure it's safe for people to go out again.

'We're not even quite sure how we feel about the 15th. We definitely don't want people to be put at risk,” he added.

Seniors-only shopping

In northern Washington County, Clint Miller is the owner of a small grocery store in Wellman, Freeman Foods. His employees have had to make the same adjustments as other store employees, he said.

'We're doing the same policies where if someone has any symptoms we're sending them to the doctor to monitor the situation,” he said, adding gloves and masks are also in order for all employees.

Early on in the pandemic, Miller made the call to recommend the store only be open for seniors from 7-9 a.m., he said. Legally, he cannot discriminate who can enter his store, but customers have been abiding by the recommendation.

'Customers are being really respectful of everybody else and being understanding which is nice,” he said.

For the most part, Miller has not seen much of a change in those hours because being in a small town, the first few hours of the day are mainly seniors or retired folks who do not have to get ready for work, he said. However, he has seen an increase in sales.

'Everybody is eating at home now,” he said, explaining with the high number of cases in Johnson and Washington Counties, people are opting to stay in. 'For people that are worried they're going to get the virus, they're kind of avoiding those areas.”

While most businesses are suffering, Miller said he is doing well. Although there was a big push for products like Lysol and toilet paper in the beginning, it has settled down and he has not had any shortages yet.

'We're being told that we're on the front lines of this more or less and have had to figure out ways to make sure we are protected and stay open,” he said. Miller said being the only store in town, citizens have voiced support of the store staying open to give them a local place to shop. 'Being in the grocery business right now is the only business that's good to be in.”

Down in Washington, Josh Schaefer, manager at Brown's Shoe, agrees. His sales have been down quite a bit because the store has been closed to the public, he said.

Although curbside service is being offered, customers have not been calling. Despite the best efforts to advertise and run promotions, things are not looking well he said.

'If it keeps up this way, we won't be open very much longer. It's that bad,” he said

Although the lack of sales has been stressful, Schaefer said the hardest part for him has been the lack of people around. Being used to having employees and customers constantly in the store is a big adjustment.

'You work with someone and you miss them when you're all alone and can't talk to them. I also miss my customers. I love to chit-chat so not being able to come in and talk, its tough,” he said. 'Its just been a difficult time.”