March 25, 2020 | The Clarion
Arts & Life
Page 3
Hard times for local
business owners
By Mickayla Smith
staff Writer
Right now, the coronavirus has put a halt on
leisure activities such as seeing a movie, going
to concerts and going out to eat. Because of
this sudden pandemic, places that we know
and love will be financially hurting. Big chain
restaurants like McDonald’s have enough
financial security to pick themselves up after
the quarantine has ended. However, what about
small local businesses?
Restaurants operate on profit margins.
Sometimes the amount may vary between
being more than enough to just barely enough.
Having this huge gap in normal sales is going to
have a big impact, regardless of how prepared
each establishment thought they were before
this.
A lot of local businesses have temporarily
changed how they sell food to their customers
by switching to take-out and/or delivery. This
has decreased social interaction between people
gathering and possibly spreading the virus.
Along with switching to take-out or delivery,
restaurants have kept special tabs of wiping all
surfaces and keeping their personal hygiene
on par.
It’s important to remember that a lot of
service workers are facing huge wage cuts
or unemployment. It is encouraged that
people leave a tip whenever you pick-up food
because it helps the workers keep their job and
livelihood.
Here are a few ways to help your local
business survive in these stressful times:
Go out and pick up food. As long as the
government allows us to leave our homes,
you can pick up as much food as you want.
If traveling is an issue, some restaurants are
participating in “Meals on Wheels” or working
with their local communities to deliver food to
shut-ins and elderly people who cannot leave
their house. You can also order food online and
pick it up. Or you can call and order in bulk, and
freeze it when you get home. These businesses
want to stay open, so they will do their best to
satisfy your needs and expectations.
Buy gift cards and merchandise from
a local establishment. Restaurants collect
revenue as soon as the card is purchased, then
they mark it redeemed once a customer applies
it to a bill. If you are sitting on some extra cash,
buy a gift card. If you are able to save that gift
card for the future, you’ll be helping your local
business.
Again, tip the servers. They are getting hit
with a big blow to their bank accounts now.
When you go to pick up food, tip the cashier.
A lot of people don’t feel the need to tip on a
to-go order, but now is the time to do so because
it could be the deciding factor of them keeping
their jobs or losing them.
T
Kurd
restaurant
Courtesy of Mickayla Smith
The Rural Seed Restaurant located in Columbus, NC.