Trenton’s small business owners, even ones who have weathered decades of ups and downs in the economy are struggling to manage the impact of coronavirus.
By order of Governor Phil Murphy, by mid March, all non-essential businesses in NJ were required to close in an effort to “flatten the curve” of coronavirus cases.
Small businesses in NJ, especially the downtown business district in Trenton, have had to struggle to stay afloat. The foot traffic of the 20,000+ state employees who used to grab lunch at a local restaurant or use their break to visit stores throughout the day has ceased.
Joe Festa has been operating the State Barber Shop on 116 South Warren Street since the 1950s. He has faced many economic downturns in his 70 years but nothing like this. He has faced a 50% drop in customers.
Asked what motivates him to show up every day he says, “We have a reputation of being here”
He adds, “Once you learn how to quit it becomes a habit.”
Across the street from the state house is Capitol Copy Services run by small business owner Ray Sziber. Sziber has been in business since 1981. With each new technological advance, he’s added new services such as offset printing, graphic design, website building and more.
Unlike many small businesses in the area, Sziber has been able to keep his doors open since March because his business is protected by the First Amendment: Freedom of the Press. In addition, Sziber applied for and received a forgivable loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to prevent people from going on unemployment.
In terms of how much the loan helped, Sziber said it “Only postponed the financial pain.”
Although there were opportunities to receive aid from local programs through the city, Sziber chose not to because they would have had to be paid back when there was little income coming in. “The Governor did not think out a good enough plan for small businesses,” he says.
Tom Fowler, another small business owner, operates Checkers Food & Spirits on 14 South Warren Street just up the block from Mr. Festas’s State Barber Shop. Although indoor dining restrictions were lifted June 15, Fowler did not reopen until November.
To help spread the word that he was open, Fowler made some phone calls and sent some emails to loyal customers. Fowler says, “There is no comparison to any other past economic downfall.”
Currently, he employs five people who hope for improvement in occupancy while receiving unemployment benefits. With current dining restrictions at 25% occupancy, he can only let about 18 people come in the doors.
He says he thinks, “It should be more like 50%.” The sidewalk out front does not offer space for outdoor dining.
The NJ Community Loan Fund is one Fowler could apply to, but he says one obstacle is that businesses need to send their expenses before they can be reimbursed. However, if there is no business or income to show, owners cannot be reimbursed.
Fowler says the reason for opening the doors today is “Financially of course, and you can’t just stand by you must be proactive and try to get back on track again for your customers and employees.”
While the old timers face one set of obstacles, Wayne Downing over at Success 2 Unisex Salon on West State Street was forced to shut down two days after his grand opening. The business that partners with Volunteers of America provides grooming to those phasing back into society or down on their luck.
After three months of waiting and assistance from the Trenton Downtown Association (TDA) Downing was able to reopen and says business is picking up. He says his work is about giving back and trying to change “people only seeing your glory and not knowing your story”
Another small business owner who is making things work is Eric Maynar the owner of Classics Books & Gifts on Lafayette. Known for its spoken word poetry and Scrabble nights, Classics now faces a three person occupancy limit, making those events impossible. So Maynar created a Facebook page for virtual browsing and is now doing better than before COVID-19.
“The bookaholics are home and the need to read is even more so now,” Maynar says. He is also reselling on websites such as Amazon and ABE Advanced Book Exchange to keep profits coming in.
As the number of coronavirus cases in the state surges toward levels seen at the beginning of the pandemic, many small business owners are now bracing for more possible closures to come.
What’s keeping them going? Joe Festa says, “I make a living by what I get, but make a life by what I give.”
