Small Business and COVID-19 By Julie Sharp
Small Business and COVID-19
By Julie Sharp
Closed until further notice.
Like everywhere else, the nonessential shops in Lunada Bay Plaza had to shut their doors in March due to the coronavirus and the reopening date is unknown. For many of the shop owners, it's been very stressful and they've suffered a wipeout of income. As far as the federal and state emergency loans -- not one shop owner interviewed has received anything despite numerous applications filed.
Out of necessity, determination and a do-it-yourself attitude that most small business owners already have, many of the Lunada Bay shops have joined together in a COVID-19 era created website, ShopLunadaBay.com. This is an online place where community members can purchase gift cards for their shop of choice to help keep the businesses afloat until opening is allowed. The site also connects customers to the business to purchase products and place food orders.
Anne Banken, owner of the women's clothing store Annie's Boutique, spearheaded the project as she has struggled to find best ways to continue to serve her customers. She's been closed since March 14. Banken knew that all of her business neighbors are suffering also, so she reached out to Palos Verdes High School alumna Maddie Smith Benson, and together they created the Shop Lunada Bay site. "It was a fun quarantine project," Smith Benson said, who designed and built the site free of charge.
"It feels like small businesses got cheated on this whole thing," Banken said. "I'm worried about the future, about catching up, everything is still accruing with no relief in sight-- no loans and no relief from the landlord."
Even businesses that have remained open, like Rafaello's Pizza are struggling. Owner Richard Dominguez said his business has taken a 50 percent hit since the scaled-down restaurant operation orders were issued in March. They are take-out and delivery only now. "Even though we are getting a lot of help from the community we still feel it," Dominguez said. "Most of our business comes from the school, the gardeners and construction worker lunch crowd and they just aren't here." Overall, Dominguez said this is a very worrisome time. Next step would be to cut staff, and it's a family business.
The sushi restaurant, Black Bamboo, will reopen May 1. Owner Jason Kim made the decision to temporarily close his business a month and a half ago. "Since I am Korean, I had been aware of it (coronavirus). I knew what to expect." Kim said. "It was very scary."
He had been following the news of the pandemic long before it spread to Europe and the United States. Kim says he's ready to go back to work, and will offer take-out starting May 1.
Stems, a Malaga Cove Plaza floral design studio and flower shop, will also be one of the businesses joining the Shop Lunada Bay website. Owner Katie Daniell said it’s been hard to remain closed. "Every sale is an Important sale," Daniell said. She closed her doors March 16, and that day she made 40 bouquets from flowers she had in stock and left them on her business doorstep for the community to take. "I decided to brighten up quarantine," Daniell said. She continues to take orders by phone and provides no-contact deliveries. While her floral supply is limited due to what she can get from the markets, Stems will be filling Mother's Day orders.
ShopLunadaBay.com went up Tuesday, April 28. The following businesses are participating: Annie’s Boutique, Black Bamboo, Day at the Bay, Rafaello’s Pizza, Salon Nirvana and Stems Floral Design.
Smith said any Lunada Bay business can join for free, visit ShopLunadaBay.com for details
Julie Sharp is a video journalist for a major broadcast news corporation in Los Angeles. She also wrote for the Beach Reporter weekly newspaper covering the city of Manhattan Beach. She is a South Bay native, attended Mira Costa High School and majored in print journalism at California State University Long Beach. She currently resides in Palos Verdes Estates. Much of her current work is shared in photos at:
