Downtown struggles amid covid-19 closures
Downtown businesses are struggling to remain afloat because of the effects of the covid-19 pandemic.
Due to covid-19 concerns and an order from Gov. Asa Hutchinson, businesses have temporarily shut their doors to the public in order to avoid spreading the disease. Unfortunately, this has hit a lot of downtown businesses pretty hard, according to Stacy Morris, interim director for Main Street Siloam Springs (MSSS).
“All of our businesses have been impacted due to guidelines from the CDC,” Morris said.
Restaurants have been forced to shut down their dining rooms and retailers have had to close their shops to the public. Online ordering is an option for restaurants and retailers, however other businesses such as barbershops, beauty salons and massage therapists have to close indefinitely.
“These businesses depend on people who walk in their door,” Morris said.
Chris Salley, owner of Main Street Barbershop, fully supports the state’s decision to close and is looking forward to reopening.
“We’ve been here for over a century,” Salley said. “We fully intend to be here when this is over.”
The grim reality
Retailers, such as Heart of the Home and Occasions, typically depend on people coming in the store to shop. Robin Waits, owner of Heart of the Home said spring is usually one of her busiest times. This year she has seen business drop drastically.
“Business was keeping on track with last year,” Waits said. “Then the brakes got slammed.”
Waits said she is offering to refund shipping costs to Siloam Springs residents who order online and is even willing to deliver items personally to the corridor cities of Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale, as well as Oklahoma towns like Colcord and West Siloam Springs.
Restaurants have struggled not only with the loss of food sales but also liquor sales. The Park House Kitchen + Bar makes most of its money through liquor sales, according to Alma Sanchez, owner of Park House.
“We’ve completely lost our nightlife business,” said Sanchez, indicating
not only the loss of liquor sales but also of having lost the opportunity to host live entertainment due to closing its lobby.
Park House offers free delivery in Siloam Springs and curbside pickup, Sanchez said. The restaurant also delivers breakfast, Sanchez said. Park House also offers beer and wine with its curbside pick up, but those options have not been popular, Sanchez said.
“We need people now more than ever to call and support local,” Sanchez said.
Ways to help
Main Street Siloam Springs recently published five ways for residents to help local businesses, according to the organization’s current newsletter.
• Buy a gift card to a downtown business — Several restaurants and shops have gift cards or gift certificates to their establishments which can be used now or at a later date, the newsletter states. They are available at siloam springs.locallygrown.net or supportlocalnwa.com the newsletter states.
• Shop online — Many downtown retailers offer online shopping and may even have free delivery, the newsletter states. Several downtown restaurants also have the option to order through their website and some may offer free delivery, it states.
• Order takeout — Restaurants have offered takeout long before covid-19. This is an easy way to support local and get a meal. Many of them will even provide curbside pickup, the newsletter states.
• Tip a little extra — Customers are encouraged to leave a full tip on takeout orders and leaving a little extra for the kitchen staff too, the newsletter states.
• Social currency — Interact with a business online by leaving a positive review on Facebook, Google or Yelp or by following the business, commenting on their site and engaging with them on social media, the newsletter states.
Cooperation is key
Another way businesses are surviving is by working together. Sanchez said she was able to get to-go boxes from Callahan’s Steak House and containers for beverage deliveries from Pure Joy Ice Cream.
Tack Design, a screen printing business that recently opened in downtown Siloam Springs, is offering a T-shirt in various colors and sizes that says “Support Local, Siloam Springs.” Tack Designs will donate $10 of the original purchase price to a business the customer selects, according to Elizabeth Bresnahan, one of the managers of the Siloam Springs location. So far the feedback has been positive.
“A lot of businesses appreciate the advertising,” Bresnahan said.
At press time, Tack Designs has sold 40 shirts, Bresnahan said. Shirts are available at supportsiloam. itemorder.com. Customers may select the business they want to donate to at checkout.
TC Screen Printing has also designed a shirt to support the businesses in the Five Points building, Morris said. The white T-shirt, with the logo “Support Local,” will cost around $22 (larger sizes will cost more), according to tcscreenprint.com.
There has been a lot of positive feedback on the shirts, according to Allison Carroll, co-owner of TC Screen Printing. At press time, Allison did not have the exact number of shirts sold because the number keeps changing every hour.
The proceeds will be placed into an account that the businesses in Five Points will use to pay for any needed expenses, Allison said.
The only costs that will be taken out are the cost of the T-shirt and the credit card processing fee for online orders, said Tyler Carroll, Allison Carroll’s husband and co-owner of TC Screen Printing. He expects to have around $18-$19 per order go into the account for use by the Five Points businesses. The other businesses are Pour Jon’s, Ivory Bill Brewing and Formada Creative.
Tyler added that TC Screen Printing will not use any of the proceeds for its own business.
“We wanted to do something to ease the burden of our friends,” Tyler Carroll said.
Customers may order the shirt at TC Screen Printing’s website.
More than just businesses
Right now, businesses are doing their best to survive until the crisis is over. Morris said she will watch for creative solutions from national Main Street resources as well as continue to encourage creative collaborations and campaigns developed by each business.
For Morris these are more than just businesses, they are families and friends, as well as jobs and livelihoods, she said.
“They are what make Siloam Springs feel like Siloam Springs,” Morris said. “It’s important to support them now when they need us the most.”