Gov. Roy Cooper has laid out a three-phase plan to cautiously reopen North Carolina, but for some Macon County business owners, lifting the restrictions mandated to combat the coronavirus can’t come soon enough.
“If this continues for another month, we’re going to lose our business, simple as that,” said Kathy Miller, owner of Rose Creek Campground and Cabins. “The stress level of it all is crazy.”
On Friday, April 24, several residents took part in a drive-by protest on Main Street in favor of loosening restrictions on social and economic activities. The group included owners of small businesses who said that their livelihoods depend on getting back to work now despite Cooper’s timeline.
Donna Burd of Burd’s Barber Shop pointed to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who allowed some businesses in his state to reopen on April 24, shortly after Cooper extended his stay-at-home order. Georgia will continue lifting restrictions in the coming weeks.
Burd said the different policies of two neighboring states will have a harsh economic impact on North Carolina and its residents.
“If they open up and we don’t, do you know what’s going to happen?” Burd said. “People are going to go shopping in Georgia. My husband is going to have to go to work in Georgia.”
Burd also commented on the frustration many business owners feel about the ambiguity of essential business rules, which she feels leaves many of them out of work without adequate explanation.
“How is it that the ABC Store is is essential and our shop isn’t?” Burd said. “You can’t just pick and choose who’s essential and who isn’t. It’s insanity.”
Restaurants have been among the businesses hit hardest by the coronavirus. Many are making ends meet by providing more takeout options, including Frogtown Market, where the need for full staffing has actually gone up since the pandemic began.
“About 40 percent of our business was take out and delivery before the stay-at-home ordered was issued, so we were able to adapt pretty quickly,” owner Donnie Bishop said. “We are working harder and it takes more staff even doing less volume. We have been able to keep all of our staff.”
Many restaurant owners are eager to get things back to normal. Kurt Knechtel, owner of Gazebo Creekside Café, said that he’s had to scale back payroll during the pandemic and that he’d like to get things back on track soon. However, he also expressed confidence in the state government to evaluate the situation and choose an appropriate time to reopen.
“We are prepared with staff to reopen as soon as Gov. Cooper says we can,” Knechtel said. “I trust in our governor and when he says we can open, we will follow the guidelines.”
Franklin Mayor Bob Scott empathized with the demonstrators, saying that there were no easy answers to protecting the economic freedom and security of local residents while still combatting the pandemic. He said the unique blend of circumstances still has lawmakers at every level of government feeling underprepared.
“It’s a very tough issue,” Scott said. “In all my life, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a health crisis like this and an economic crisis like this happen at the same time.”
However, Scott also reiterated his commitment to a gradual reopening process. He said that the town will not move any faster than the state and other municipalities do in order to minimize risks.
“The Town of Franklin will be following guidelines set statewide and we will be coordinating with surrounding towns and counties,” Scott said. “I feel that as we begin reopening, it is in everyone’s interest to begin as a region and not have everyone running off and doing their own thing. This virus doesn’t give a hoot about city limits or county boundaries.”
Commissioner Karl Gillespie took a similar stance, saying that the county is monitoring the situation closely with the help of Emergency Medical Services, the Department of Public Health and the Economic Development Commission to help residents adjust however they can, but that in the end, the decision to reopen is out of their hands.
“The county has limited authority on this matter,” Gillespie said. “We’ve had a good flow of information coming in from EMS and from all our departments to help inform our decisions, but the state trumps what we do.”