BUSINESSES ADJUST TO KEEP HEAD ABOVE WATER
One year into the pandemic
There’s plenty of business manuals on getting rich quick, dealing with customers, and growing a business.
Nowhere is there a “Surviving a Pandemic for Dummies.”
So for the folks who make the policies, it was trial by fire. And businesses did what they could to survive. Many couldn’t handle the revenue loss and folded.
Moschetti Coffee, a downtown Vallejo roaster, and Savage & Cooke, a Mare Island Distillery, survived by changing course. With roller coasters unavailable, Six Flags Marine World remained open by returning to its animal roots and awaits the April 1 re-opening date set by the state.
Because Moschetti is a small family business, “we have close relationships with our employees and customers. So for me, the human factor, the effect the pandemic is having on all of us is the most difficult and distressing part,” Moschetti said. “Having to furlough, and even let go of, employees many of whom I have known and worked with for over 15 years was heartbreaking. The pressure on some employees was very difficult to witness, some struggling with mental illness and substance abuse. It was also maddening to see so many long-term customers financially devastated, losing their very livelihood.”
Before COVID-19 derailed the world, Moschetti sold coffee and installed and serviced equipment to primarily wholesale accounts, such as restaurants, cafes, spas, hotels, and B&Bs.
“Because the hospitality in
dustry was probably the most impacted by the pandemic, we saw our revenues decline by more than 50 more percent,” Moschetti said. “This forced us to reinvent our business model, through developing and growing a retail coffee sales business, both in person and through internet sales.”
Still, Moschetti was forced to reduce his workforce 20 per cent.
“I think we will see a slow recovery of the economy following the trend of vaccination and reduction of the COVD cases,” he said.
The pandemic has forced the hospitality industry to change gears, Moschetti said.
“We have seen some new trends emerge as a direct result of the pandemic. Most restaurants transformed their menus to align with a ‘to go’ format; we have seen an increase in the use of delivery businesses such as DoorDash, and new concepts such as ‘ghost kitchens’ and ‘pop-ups’ have become much more prevalent. As a business, we will have to adapt to this new ecosystem and reinvent ourselves as well, if we want to survive. I am sure that there will be a ‘before’ and ‘after’ COVID, so our business model will not be the same.”
Moschetti praised and condemned the California’s handling of COVID-19.
“I commend the state for placing the health of Californians as their No. 1 priority, choosing to protect people over the economy. I do think they failed, however, inadequately explaining their plan to people,” Moschetti said. “As a result, many revolted against measures they considered unjust. I often heard people questioning why it was riskier to be dining outside a restaurant versus waiting in line inside at Costco or Safeway. Also, closing and re-opening restaurants only to close again, to them was devastating.”
Savage & Cooke remained active — and kept employees employed— by converting the distillery to hand sanitizer production.
More than 100,000 gallons have been produced since March, 2020, said general manager Lauren Blanchard, with the distillery returning to whiskey production last September.
About 15 employees and additional 30 part-time employees
stayed working during hand sanitizer production, said Blanchard.
If Savage & Cooke never ventured into producing hand sanitizer, “we would have missed out on the opportunity to provide our local community with a lifesaving resource that was severely needed,” Blanchard said, adding that “we are positive about 20201 and looking forward to welcoming guests back to our distillery as well as introducing our new bar and restaurant.”
Local elected officials recognized the plight of local businesses during a year of COVID-19.
“I feel badly that they have taken this pandemic so hard. Many have shut down and have lost so much,” said State Sen. Bill Dodd. “We’re working hard with different programs to help small businesses that have been devastated.”
Though grateful there’s still roughly $14 million socked away in the Vallejo treasure chest, Councilman Rozzana Verder-Aliga said the city’s taken a major financial hit.
Recovery, she said, “depends on when we will be able to fully open businesses and start moving forward with economic development projects as well as reinstating city operations back to normal.”
Vallejo “needs to make sure that we get the funds allocated for cities from the recent pandemic relief bill,” Verder-Aliga said.
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo’s main tourist attraction, can join other California theme parks and open at 15 percent capacity April 1 — if Solano County
remains in the red tier. It’s also possible that the county could move in the less restrictive orange tier.
Though Six Flags management declined to be interviewed, the park issued a statement following the governor’s update on theme parks re-opening:
“We are pleased by the state’s announcement today. Six Flags has extensive safety procedures in place at parks across the country and we have been safely hosting guests at the park since July of 2020 for The Marine World Experience. Our team members are eager to welcome guests back to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom with a full complement of our world-class coasters, rides, and animals in a safe, outdoor environment.”
To the businesses that reinvented themselves and to those who invested plenty of dollars and stayed open, Solano County Superintendent Erin Hannigan issued a “Thank you!”
“Thank you for hanging in there, keeping your employees busy and providing needed services and resources to our community,” she said. “I know it wasn’t easy and still isn’t. I’ve heard from many business owners about the challenges they have and the fear of losing their business. That fear is real. The Board understood that so we designated $2 million of Cares Act funding to support small businesses throughout the county. We will continue to find ways to financially support our business community.”
Hannigan saluted the businesses that just couldn’t survive.
“I’m sympathetic to business owners who’ve put everything into their enterprise and can no longer operate because of the pandemic,” she said. “It’s been a terrible year for some.”
“None of us has been through a pandemic, so the rules have been written and rewritten to accommodate the gained knowledge of
the effects of the virus and controlling the spread,” said Hannigan, agreeing “for the most part” with policy.
“I think the frustrating part is adjusting as the virus load increased and decreased. I fully understand the frustration business, particularly small business, has felt and expressed,” Hannigan said. “Bringing back and laying off employees, ordering and canceling food orders for restaurants and committing to outdoor dining fully or partially has been expensive for businesses and devastating for both employees and owners.”