Grand Strand businesses face uncertain impacts from Coronavirus: ‘It’s going to hurt’
Coronavirus has left Myrtle Beach’s business owners and employees wondering how long “business as usual’‘ can last before further quarantine restrictions are applied.
By Monday morning, Horry County had three confirmed cases of COVID-19 prompting more event closures and calls for quarantining. Elsewhere in the United States, state governments placed limitations on when restaurants and bars could open and the size of public gatherings.
For Kevin Osborn, owner of Twelve 33 Distillery in North Myrtle Beach, his relatively new business can’t easily lose any day of work. While the past weekend was normal, potential new restrictions on bar operation could be a hit for his business and employees.
“You have fixed costs. Most of these costs of this operation are fixed,” Osborn said. “It’s going to hurt. There is no question. We’re going to probably take a hit to the pocketbook.”
Broadway Grand Prix Owner Mark Lazarus said at his race track he has seen a few cancellations, mostly from sports teams and school groups coming to the Myrtle Beach area. His park is doing everything it can to stay clean.
The weekend traffic at Broadway Grand Prix was good, Lazarus said, but his business is unsure what the future holds. He might consider reducing hours or other changes as the week progresses.
Osborn said paying employees through the crisis could be a challenge, especially if business shutdowns or gets reduced to only a few hours of operation. He wants to keep paying employees for as long as he can during the crisis but might have to seek assistance depending on how long the crisis lasts.
“Most small businesses can’t afford to pay employees while they’re closed,” Osborn said. “And that will be devastating to so many people.”
Conway’s Shine Cafe Owner Leslie Wilson said her decision for how long she will stay open is going to depend on how the crowds are on Tuesday and the following days.
While Shine has plenty of food, Wilson is already seeing a pinch on cleaning supplies necessary for a business to continue operating.
“If we don’t have Clorox, we will close. If you see us closed, cleaning supplies are the reason,” she said.
None of Wilson’s employees rely only on the Shine Cafe for income, but closing the business means neither Wilson or her employees will be paid. Wilson said she will make sure her employees are fed.
Ultimately, expert predictions show the amount of cases in the United States could grow quickly, sparking needs for more restrictions in the coming days or weeks. Already residents are stocking up on supplies and limiting travel.
To help with the boredom, Myrtle Beach Games is offering a 15 percent discount on Pandemic, the board game, and other doomsday-related games.
Chris Steele, co-owner of the game store, said a lot of their customers are kids who may not fully understand what is going on. The store offers game nights featuring Pokemon, Dungeons and Dragons and Magic the Gathering that can attract a crowd.
But the weekend was pretty normal at the location in Socastee, but Steele also co-owns a store at Shaw Air Force Base where service members were told to stay on base. They’re seeing lots of people stockpile games for potentially weeks of self-quarantine.
Steele said the store will stay open as long as they can keep it open and will act as a drop-off point for food supplies to help feed kids during the remainder of the crisis. He wants to make sure people are fed and can have fun.
“It’s nerve wracking,” Steele said. “They’re telling people to avoid large gatherings but that’s kind of what our business is based on.”
