The effects of COVID-19 are being felt by Whitecourt businesses. Here’s how three of them are handling it.

Ever since Premier Jason Kenney announced the closure of non-essential businesses across Alberta on March 20, business owners have been scrambling. For some, like hairdressers, the announcement meant they couldn’t operate at all as close personal contact was no longer allowed. The list also included hobby, gift, and specialty stores which meant Amazing Gifts had to close its doors. Owner Carla Mills said that prior to the forced shutdown, her store was experiencing a growth. “We were looking at changing displays, adding room for more talent, and had just recently hired our first full-time staff member.”

Now that things have changed, Mills said they are working to catch up. “We have taken crash courses in technology, web design, photography, and a new organizational system to get everything up and running as quickly as possible with limited staff.” They are also working on a website so they can continue to sell products. Though being closed complicates things immensely, Mills said it also has a clear advantage.

“When we were still open, we had to enforce strict cleaning routines which became a huge frustration as we couldn’t find the proper cleaning supplies. Having the government close us to the public has now given us the chance to protect the workers and launch web sales with curbside pick up.” She said they are now looking into emergency funding relief to help with staff costs and are focusing on continuing to grow, this time through their website and social media. “Everyone is in the same boat right now. Stay humble and be kind. We are all in this together.”

For businesses that offer essential products or services, it meant they could remain open serving the public. Many businesses have implemented various safety precautions including shields near areas where they would be in close contact with customers, floor guides, and reduced hours and/or limits on the number of customers allowed inside at a time.

The Furniture Den is one of the businesses in town that is allowed open since they sell appliances (fridges, washers, freezers). “You don’t realize how important having those are until you need one and we stock 95 per cent of the appliances we sell, so people can generally take it with them right away,” explained Don Shaw. He said he and the rest of staff clean and sanitize the store all day long. “We have a couple of different space set ups that keep us further apart from the public and it has really made everyone feel more safe and secure, for the most part.”

Shaw said customers have also been using the website or phone more, too. “People have been paying for stuff and just calling us when they get here. We load it and they don’t even have to get out of the vehicle; it works well for everyone.” So far, as of this writing, the hours at the Furniture Den haven’t changed from the regular hours, Monday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and he said they hope to keep that going forward. “One thing I have been trying to focus on is that bad times don’t last. We have had a lot of them over the last decade and Covid-19 is not going to last forever, neither is the downturn in the economy. We will all bounce back bigger and better then ever before, and I truly believe that.”

Another big change following the non-essential closures was that restaurants could not allow sit-in dining. They can, however, provide pickup and delivery services. One of the restaurants in Whitecourt that is operating in this way is Mountain Pizza & Steakhouse. Manager Joanne Bates Belke said the challenges being faced are many but that with positivity in mind and a sense of community, “together we will get through this.”

She said the restaurant lost two thirds of normal sales with the closure of the lounge and dining room and that their delivery/take out, which has always been busy, is busier than ever. But having to close most of the restaurant meant that staff needed to be laid off. In total, nine employees were laid off and one new hire that didn’t even get to have her first day due to the timing, also lost out. She said in her 40 years of working in managerial positions within the service industry, she has never had to lay off staff. Belke said everyone is working hard to keep things safe for everyone. “We put a glass barrier up at our takeout counter and we sanitize. We’re following all the guidelines and doing our best to keep our customers and our staff safe.”

She said she worries about the long-term effects of the widespread shutdown and wonders how many businesses won’t be able to reopen. “I get Canadian restaurant statistics every day from an association I belong to which is saying that one in five restaurants are expected to close in the next 30 days if nothing changes. They are also saying that possibly half of those will not reopen.”

She said she is grateful for the community support they are receiving. “We have customers who have ordered on Friday nights since I’ve been here, and I’ve been here 17 years, and they still ordered last night. I think by the looks on their faces they were happy to pick it up and have that same familiarity and normality in their lives.”

During normal business, anyone who frequented the restaurant knew that seeing Belke’s smiling face was part of the experience and as normal as that was for patrons it was equally as important to her, too. “That’s why I work the takeout because I love seeing people’s faces. When they walk in the doors their faces light up.” Everyone is working together to keep the business going and that means filling roles that might not be normal. “Two weeks ago, I delivered on a Friday night. It was cool,” she laughed.

Aside from the normal delivery that is available during the day, they have also started offering their own delivery service ($5) from 5 p.m. until close as that has enabled her to keep a staff member onboard. Plus, the delicious $4/slice homemade cheesecake is now only three bucks! “I know if we work together, we will get through it, but we must stick together, all of us, no matter what business we are in! Our community needs to stick together.” To receive updates on, and support the businesses mentioned in this story: Amazing Gifts, Mountain Pizza & Steakhouse Whitecourt, and Furniture Den, visit them on their Facebook pages.