Many Macon County retailers are getting their first business in over a month as Gov. Roy Cooper’s three-phase plan to reopen the state took effect on May 8.
Businesses deemed non-essential by the governor’s executive orders have been closed since March 30.
The ability to reopen, even with capacity and social distancing guidelines in place, will start these businesses on the road back to recovery, said Linda Harbuck, executive director of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce.
Recovery will be gradual, Harbuck said.
“It’s still just going to be a trickle,” she said. “It’s not going to bust open all at once, and while we’re still recovering from this outbreak, that’s probably a good thing.”
There was a modest crop of shoppers roaming Main Street on Saturday afternoon, May 9, enjoying both the sunny day and the chance to visit some of their favorite stores after an extended hiatus.
It wasn’t enough to overwhelm any storeowners, however. Roland Mock, owner of Rockin’ Rollie Pollies Restaurant, said that foot traffic on the street didn’t lead to an uptick in diners on Saturday. He expects that to change once people have enough time to regain their confidence in going out, but he agrees that it may be a while.
“I don’t see as many people out yet,” Mock said. “I think a lot of them are still worried about getting sick, so we’re not seeing anything too crazy yet.”
Outdoor 76 is also being cautious about expectations for the next few weeks. Co-owner Rob Gasbarro said that with the three-phase plan subject to day-by-day review by state officials, and the possibility of new regulations being rolled out at any time, he doesn’t know when the business will see customers in a normal capacity again. However, he has been heartened by continued engagement from the store’s clientele, who he said have been eager for their return.
“I think the best word to describe it is ‘encouraging,’” Gasbarro said. “We haven’t been collecting normal revenue for about six weeks now. On March 30, it was really scary, but we’re very encouraged by the support we’ve seen from the community.”
No matter how many customers or how much money comes into each store and how long it takes for those numbers to return to normal, many business owners are just thankful to be doing things the way they used to.
Brooke Reale, co-owner of Kitchen Sink, said that she missed the routine of going into the store and helping her customers every day, and Saturday was a welcome return to form.
“We love our customers,” Reale said. “We always knew that, but we never knew how much we would miss any kind of human interaction after a few weeks.”
Her customers feel the same way about them. Marianne Barrone enjoyed taking a trip to Kitchen Sink and the rest of Main Street on Saturday, not only to see people she hadn’t seen in weeks, but also to have some sort of escape from the tedium of lockdown.
“It’s just so good to be back out again,” Barrone said. “You never know how much you’ll miss it until the option is gone.”
Phase two of the governor’s plan is expected to begin after two or three weeks, at which point restaurant dining rooms, bars, gyms and personal care services will be allowed to open again.
For more information on resources available to business owners during the reopening, go online to franklin-chamber.com or reopeningmacon.com.