What Small Shops have Closed near you

So the weird thing is I only know of one place that has closed since the pandemic started.

It was a higher end but very small grocery store. I actually don't think Covid
had much to do with it, but was the final nail in the coffin.

You know location location location.
They put this high end grocery in a relatively low income area.
Even though there are high income areas 15 min away, it was too far to draw them in.

I keep hearing small business, small business, what about small businesses.
Well at least here they seem to be weathering the storm, and some are doing great!

None of them. Because we didn't close down. Neither did the surrounding towns. The only places that really shut down were the goobermint run places like school. Other than that the tim hortons went to drive through only, which was retarded. Instead of using the inside as the gossip central, people bought their coffees in the drive through, then hung out in the parking lot shooting the # instead of inside. A resteraunt went to take out only. That's about it around here.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Just in town here, at least three restaurants on the main street a few clothing stores, two coffee shops, most of the small knick knack type stores, a few random stores have been boarded up for months without any notice as to whether they're gone permanently or not. There wasn't that many businesses in town to begin with. I'd say probably a third of them are now gone permanently or have been closed for months with no sign of reopening.

The big chain grocery store's been doing fine, the smaller local grocery store resisted the mask policy for a bit until it got reported, fined and shamed in the newspapers and stuff.

Most of the smaller businesses that are still open have been struggling because of restrictions. They're customer base is way down just because they have limits like one customer at a time and stuff imposed through risk of fines. There's a few business owners i've talked to who aren't sure how long they can stay open operating like that.

a reply to: JAGStorm
I would say every third shop in our town has gone visibly bust. The rest still have wares but we don't know how the owners are coping.
Yeah all of them are due to lockdown, because they are on the high street and some have been there for decades before this organised destruction.
Nice try to find excuses for those who are rearranging our world right now.

originally posted by: dug88
a reply to: JAGStorm

Just in town here, at least three restaurants on the main street a few clothing stores, two coffee shops, most of the small knick knack type stores, a few random stores have been boarded up for months without any notice as to whether they're gone permanently or not. There wasn't that many businesses in town to begin with. I'd say probably a third of them are now gone permanently or have been closed for months with no sign of reopening.

Just curious what region you live in. I thought my area would be a lot harder hit, but that grocery store is the only one I know of. We were shut down pretty hard in spring too.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Small town in BC in Canada. It's just gotten worse in the last couple of weeks with the latest round of restrictions.

a reply to: JAGStorm
Do all the small shops in your area own their buildings or rent? I think that could be a big difference maker. If you can't bring in moneys, but gotta shell out for rent, that could be a problem. Ass backwards places like NY where property taxes can be higher than rent sometimes, who knows.

a reply to: JAGStorm

We have lost Lil Suzies, one of our favorite breakfast nooks. Doreen ran her own place for fifteen years, taking orders laughing with her friends and serving the best coffee in town. Doreen wasn't a young gal and was already feeling the pinch from the new Hot Rod Diner about a mile down the road run by Jenny and Terry.

She took the oppertunity of Covid shutdowns to bow out respectfully and now her old shop is desolate even though it sits on the first intersection of a freeway off ramp.

originally posted by: TKDRL
a reply to: JAGStorm
Do all the small shops in your area own their buildings or rent? I think that could be a big difference maker. If you can't bring in moneys, but gotta shell out for rent, that could be a problem. Ass backwards places like NY where property taxes can be higher than rent sometimes, who knows.

It's a combination.
I don't think we are over commercialized as some areas and that might be the saving grace.

A friend sells in an antique booth and said this has been her best year. Antiques/junk are usually the first thing scrapped in bad economic times, so there is either hope, money or something else going on here.

Just a quick look here we had a whole small 6-7 spots strip mall, close completely. A few restaurants are gone, including a 7000 square foot popular local brand Mexican restaurant, near the amphitheater. I'm sure there is alot more.

They are redeveloping the Sears spot at the mall for residential and green space. Which is interesting doing this to a well established Mall, I'd imagine we will see more of that happening.

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire
a reply to: JAGStorm

We have lost Lil Suzies, one of our favorite breakfast nooks. Doreen ran her own place for fifteen years, taking orders laughing with her friends and serving the best coffee in town. Doreen wasn't a young gal and was already feeling the pinch from the new Hot Rod Diner about a mile down the road run by Jenny and Terry.

She took the oppertunity of Covid shutdowns to bow out respectfully and now her old shop is desolate even though it sits on the first intersection of a freeway off ramp.

That's always hard when a favorite place closes and you know nothing can replace it.

a reply to: JAGStorm
I am in the construction business, it's been pretty crazy. Usually winters are a dead zone for work, but I have had pretty steady work, last winter, and so far this winter. Though it's early for this winter. The money is nice, but #, I like to have time off to work on my stupid arts and stuff lol.

About 15% of all businesses closed permanently. A handful of 20+ year old restaurants gone forever.

They are talking about locking AZ down again tomorrow. Right in time for Xmas.

Screw all the dictators telling us how to live our lives!!!

I can’t do it again. Finally going to set up my game room. There is going to be a speakeasy at my house!

I have friends who own quite a few of the restaurants/bars in my town. The shutdowns have hit them very hard. I know a few who think they will close permanently if this goes on for another month or so.

It ticks me off that these small businesses can't stay open even though they are taking every precaution and all of the big box stores are allowed to operate even though they are not as nearly as diligent enforcing the rules.

Having a dozen people in a small restaurant is WAY worse than several hundred in a Wal-Mart who are wearing their masks half-assed or not at all. /S.

a reply to: KKLOCO

About 15% of all businesses closed permanently. A handful of 20+ year old restaurants gone forever.

That's what I expected here, but I'm not seeing it. The only restaurant I can think of that closed is
Five Guys, it's not really in our area, and I'm not sure if that happened pre lock down... again, that
was a terrible location issue.


patch.com...

Sixty-two percent of small businesses in the United States need to see sales income return to the same rate it was pre-pandemic before the end of the year to stay in business, according to American Express.

62% of small business is a lot....

My father-in-law lost his business. He owned a couple of very successful martial arts schools that he built from the ground up almost 40 years ago. Just like that POOF, gone. My wife and I are pretty worried about his mental state at this point.

He would have survived the first part of the lockdown very easily (when we flattened the curve around late May). But since our governor decided to drag her feet and not allow gyms to open until September it ruined him.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
So the weird thing is I only know of one place that has closed since the pandemic started.

It was a higher end but very small grocery store. I actually don't think Covid
had much to do with it, but was the final nail in the coffin.

You know location location location.
They put this high end grocery in a relatively low income area.
Even though there are high income areas 15 min away, it was too far to draw them in.

I keep hearing small business, small business, what about small businesses.
Well at least here they seem to be weathering the storm, and some are doing great!

My friend that lives in Portland said that before the pandemic he had a dozen restaurants and 3 or 4 coffee shops near his house, and that was one of the reasons to live in the bigger city as he could walk everywhere. Now they are ALL closed and even the McD closed down. What makes matters worst is when a business closes the homeless then camp in front of the building on the sidewalk in their tents, so not only does he see all these businesses closed but the side walks are filled with homeless tents that a year ago were none.

This is almost 3 months ago...it is worst now...



My friend who owns a brewery is barely hanging on, cut 60% of his staff and isn't sure if he can make it through another lock down.

originally posted by: TKDRL
a reply to: JAGStorm
I am in the construction business, it's been pretty crazy. Usually winters are a dead zone for work, but I have had pretty steady work, last winter, and so far this winter. Though it's early for this winter. The money is nice, but #, I like to have time off to work on my stupid arts and stuff lol.

My plumber said he was working 10-12 hours days with hardly a day off. They can't hire fast enough.
He said it's been this way since last spring. He said the same as you, he loves the money but it tired and needs a break.

a reply to: Xtrozero

Yeah, I was going to comment on Portland. My home town of 31 years. Literally every one of my favorite restaurants are gone there. With the exception of one - Jakes.

They were all very popular too. So sad to see what’s happened there.

originally posted by: KKLOCO
a reply to: Xtrozero

Yeah, I was going to comment on Portland. My home town of 31 years. Literally every one of my favorite restaurants are gone there. With the exception of one - Jakes.

They were all very popular too. So sad to see what’s happened there.

Is Portland due to Covid, or the riots? Both?