Some Local Businesses Adapt During Coronavirus Outbreak
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WHEELING -- With the future of small businesses uncertain, local food providers are adapting to the changing times in trying to weather the storm.
Numerous restaurants are offering curbside pickup for carry-out orders, and some are offering delivery options which were not previously available, such as Later Alligator and TJ's Sports Garden.
At Later Alligator, they have started what was described as "the least formal program of all time" by representative Mitchell Haddad, the Adopt-A-Frontliner program, which allows customers to purchase meals at a discount for delivery to essential workers.
"We wanted to do something nice for the people that are out -- I don't care if you're working retail or at a hospital or an emergency room, or if you're just at a desk and at some point had been deemed essential," Haddad said.
"There are people who still have to work in this garbage, and there are people who want to do nice things for them, and we want to bring them together."
The program involves purchasing meals, or groups of meals, at a discounted rate, which are then delivered to the recipients. Haddad said the delivered meals could be an assortment, which minimizes guesswork by bringing a variety of food options.
"We have a lovely, lovely woman who's a longtime friend. Her husband has been in the hospital, and he's very, very sick. She can't currently visit him, and she wanted to do something for the hospital staff. She called us and said, 'Hey, can I buy lunch for the (hospital) floor?' ... But she didn't know if anyone had food allergies, if anybody had specific requests, and I said, 'Why don't we just send them a bag with an assortment, and say this is what this is and who it's from?'
"It's not a money-maker. I'm not a huge fan of pandemic profiteering, in fact, I'm morally opposed to it. Being open right now is an exercise in healing the community. ... The way we're going to get through this is through the strength of our community. Those of us who can do something need to do something, and this is the infrastructure I have."
In a similar vein, Jebbia's Market has started adapting their business model to accommodate the needs of the community during the public health crisis, but they might carry those adaptations with them once the storm passes.
Employees and customers inside the little market on Chapline Street keep their distance from one another, but store manager John Palotay still greets, helps and chats with customers at arm's length.
Inspired by the nearby Lowe's, which also set up a barrier between its employees' stations and customers, Jebbia's followed suit, with Plexiglas windows set up in the checkout lanes.
"After so many customers, they get wiped down. We've got employees continually, at least every half-hour, wiping down every surface," he said. "For our employees, we've got gloves available, they're allowed to wear masks. ... Our policy here, we made it mandatory for any employee, if they have symptoms don't come to work. When we kept them away for 10 to 12 days, as we were told. We're trying to follow all the guidelines."
The market also began offering curbside pickup of groceries, which Palotay said has been such a great success that he thinks they'll continue offering it as a standard service.
"For a small business, we've really stepped up. We do curbside now, just call the order in and when it's filled, we call you with the total, ... and we run it out to the car, and you're gone. It took off big time, and we're probably going to continue that after this all is done."