Local Businesses during COVID
Braiden S. - 7th Grade
In 2020, COVID-19 forced nearly every non-essential business in the US to shut down in-person operations, causing restaurants to close and furlough or fire staff. But in the Denver Highlands, some businesses prioritized keeping their staff.
At Pinwheel Coffee, shop manager Joe Fulkerson had to close during March and April, but he didn’t lay off any of his staff. When the shop reopened in May, some staff chose not to return because of limited hours. A few blocks down, at Crush Pizza and Tap, Jason McGovern at Crush Pizza made an effort to keep all of his staff, except furloughing front-house staff, such as waiters and bartenders. But, as soon as reopening began they were rehired
Because of the pandemic, local businesses made a bigger connection to the community. Joe also wanted to make the safety of the community a priority, so even though many times restrictions were lifted, he made the decision to keep the shop a To-Go-only operation until late October when he opened the indoors to the public. In early March, Joe opened the shop to in-person seating due to numbers dropping and vaccinations increasing. In the early era of the pandemic, Crush set up a system to help people in need of food. Though customers buy gift cards, every gift card purchase meant that one pizza would be given to food banks and people in need.
“These businesses were able to overcome some of the challenges of the pandemic, while also giving back to the community in a positive way.”
These businesses were able to overcome some of the challenges of the pandemic, while also giving back to the community in a positive way. And now, more than ever, they need your support in return. Whenever you buy from a local business or restaurant, you are supporting your own community, through taxes, economic growth, and jobs in your area. These businesses want to say that buying local, such as Crush Pizza and Pinwheel Coffee is much more beneficial for your community than larger chains.
Delivery services are a common way that many businesses used to serve food during the pandemic, and Crush has used delivery services such as PostMates and GrubHub for many years. Just recently in February, they were able to sponsor their own deliveries through their website. If you didn’t know, those delivery services take 30% of income when a customer buys, which is a huge percentage. Jason wants to make the recommendation that if you ever order from a restaurant, make sure to call to see if they have their own delivery service before you buy from a third-party company, as this helps businesses grow and keep their income. So next time you’re craving pizza or a morning coffee, stop by Crush or Pinwheel!
