SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Salvador Orozco’s days have been different since Santa Cruz County officials ordered residents to stay home and forced most businesses to shutter their doors to slow the spread of Covid-19.
The owner of Foreverfly Skate and Apparel in downtown Watsonville has played the role of stay-at-home dad for the past two months, prepping meals for his 5-year-old son, Andres, and helping him with his packet of schoolwork—which they pick up every Monday from Rio Del Mar Elementary.
“He takes up a lot of my time,” Orozco said. “He’s a ball of energy.”
Orozco’s days might soon be turning into what officials are calling a “new normal.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced state officials were ready to move into Phase 2 of their plan to reopen California’s once-booming economy. That included opening retail stores such as clothing shops, book stores and florists, among others, for curbside pick-up orders.
County officials have said they will allow local stores to open so long as they follow state guidelines.
“This step is an indicator of progress. However, we remain vigilant in our efforts to reduce the spread of Covid-19, and we will carefully review our disease models for adverse impacts before reopening other sectors of our community and economy,” Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said in a press release.
Orozco called Newsom’s announcement “great news” and said he is making the needed adjustments to at last reopen his store, which has been closed since the initial local shelter-in-place order went into effect on March 17.
“As a business owner, we want to start making sales again and seeing our customers,” Orozco said. “We want to be able to start making a living again.”
After his store was forced to close, Orozco moved all sales online and offered delivery for most products. He said sales have been “OK” during the shutdown, but he expects them to increase when customers can drop by and pick up their product hours after ordering instead of waiting for it to be delivered.
“It makes it easier for us,” he said. “It makes it easier on the customers, too.”
Around the block at Carol’s Flowers Decorations and Gifts, owner Martha Garcia has high hopes that the pick-up orders, especially with Mother’s Day set for this weekend, will help her small shop at Plaza Vigil rebound.
“It would be perfect,” Garcia said through an interpreter. “It won’t be the same as in previous years, but it will be something.”
Like Orozco, Garcia has moved her sales online and over the phone, but her per day transactions have dropped from dozens to a couple. Many of her clients, she said, are unemployed at the moment and cannot afford to make their usual purchase.
She added that other customers have said they are still timid to be out in a public place, and predicts that fear might have prolonged negative effects on her business.
She plans to follow all local and state guidelines for businesses, which include increasing her disinfecting routine, limiting the number of customers allowed in her store and plastering her shop with physical distancing reminders. But business won’t bounce back immediately, she said.
“It won’t be normal for some time,” Garcia said.
Across town at Kelly’s Books owner Kelly Pleskunas echoed Garcia, saying that her customers might be apprehensive about visiting her store while Covid-19 continues to spread.
Pleskunas said she still had several questions about what is and what is not allowed under the loosened restrictions. As of Thursday, she had not received any guidance from the state, county or city government about reopening.
She plans to continue receiving orders over the phone and then setting a pick-up date and time when customers can drop by and snag their book off a table at the front of the store.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure Watsonville has its bookstore,” she said, “but we also have to be smart, safe and clear about what reopening looks like… We can’t rush out and open.”
HELPING HAND
Both Orozco and Pleskunas applied and received money from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a multi-billion dollar portion of the more than $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act approved by the federal government.
But both business owners say those loans will not entirely replace their day-to-day sales from before the shutdown.
“It took a lot of stress off our shoulders, but we still have a lot of bills to pay,” Orozco said. “You still have to pay (Pacific Gas and Electric Company), insurance and everything else that comes with running a small business. All of that adds up.”
On top of that federal assistance, Pleskunas said she would receive some monetary help from the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, which together with the American Booksellers Association, author James Patterson and Reese’s Book Club have raised more than $1 million for a campaign dubbed Save Indie Bookstores.
“We don’t know how much we’re going to get but any little bit will help us get going again,” she said.
For Watsonville small business owners that still require assistance with rent and/or utility payments, the City of Watsonville is offering grants of up to $2,000 through El Pajaro Community Development Corporation.
Roughly 50 grants will be distributed. City leaders have said they hope to have a second round of grants later this year. Grants are due today at 3pm.
For information on how to apply for the grant, visit https://bit.ly/2WwrKiZ, email [email protected] or call 722-1224.
