KANSAS CITY, Mo — As snow and ice remain stuck to the sidewalks of Kansas City, small businesses are struggling to get customers in the door.
“People are just trapped in their homes, so small businesses are suffering right now,” said Jackie Nguyen, owner of Café Cà Phê.
She said her brick-and-mortar coffee shop in Columbus Park saw a 70% decline in sales year over year, which she credits to the weather.
“That was a really shocking number for me personally, and I went into panic mode,” Nguyen said. “It then gave me stress. It goes down; it’s a snowball effect. Quite literally, a snowball effect.”
VOICE FOR EVERYONE | Share your voice with KSHB 41’s Abby Dodge
This week, Café Cà Phê and other local businesses resonated with a simple post from The Black Pantry.
Nguyen said the post inspired her to create her own, referencing the “struggle bus” most small businesses are boarding during the already slow season.
Comparing the ride to a semi-truck driving down Independence Avenue, where large loads repeatedly hit the top of a low-hanging bridge.
Kristin Watkins also commented on the most recent post from The Black Pantry.
She shared with me that over the last week and a half, she’s experienced 16 canceled or rescheduled appointments at her business, Redeeming Radiance Skin Studio.
“When the weather forces you to shut down, or schools are closed, people can’t come to their appointments. It takes a toll because there is no such thing as working from home when you do this,” Watkins said. “It’s just been interesting, because rather than risking January at all, they are just pushing to what they hope for in February, so it’s been kind of wild.”
Meteorologists at KSHB 41 anticipate the weather will take a warmer turn beginning Sunday.
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