The owners of the Oregon District boutique, which opened in 2015, said in a Facebook post that they were heartbroken to announce that they plan to close Jan. 1 if sales do not improve.
“We won’t have a choice. We simply won’t be able to afford to continue,” read the post. Heart Mercantile sells funny, eccentric and homemade gifts. “It’s an uncertain future, and all of us are bracing for the worst while hoping for the best. It’s gut-wrenching. When you love something, you don’t imagine it ending, and it’s hard to fathom life without it.”
Gus Stathes, one of the owners of the Barrel House, said things are pretty bad right now and the cost of goods and operations have exceeded the downtown store’s sales for more than six-straight months.
“We have been scarily close to shutting our doors for a while now,” he said. “We had to completely replace our air conditioning unit at the beginning of the summer and it was almost the nail in our coffin.”
Lily’s Dayton, a restaurant in the Oregon District, said in an August Facebook post it was “struggling bad” and needed help.
“This summer has not been the summer we have needed to go into another tough fall and winter,” the restaurant said.
Local business owners say high costs seem be one of the biggest problems right now that’s keeping people away and causing them to pinch their pennies.
Local owners say they need community members to come shop, dine and drink at their stores and establishments or else they may not be around much longer.
Broken heart
In a Saturday Facebook post, Heart Mercantile said it plans to continue normal operations in November and December but its store at 601 E. Fifth St. will close on Jan. 1 if things do not change.
The post says that many small businesses are struggling because of inflation, the economy and the lingering effects of COVID.
“Shopping habits have changed, and I’m not sure that ‘shopping small’ is as valued as it once was,” the post states. “The costs of doing business — products, bags, shipping — have skyrocketed. Just getting inventory after COVID was a nightmare, with supply chain issues and manufacturing delays. Downtown foot traffic has dwindled, and competing with big corporations is harder than ever. We are not essential, and with the higher prices of simply existing, buying groceries, and keeping a roof over your head, people are struggling. We understand completely, because same.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Heart Mercantile described its Facebook post as a “Hail Mary, last-ditch effort” to save the business.
Three months ago, Lily’s Dayton posted a plea for help on Facebook.
Owner Emily Mendenhall says that weekday sales have been the biggest source of stress on the Oregon District restaurant.
“They never returned to pre-pandemic levels and it’s nearly impossible to try to pay all the bills between Friday and Sunday,” she said.
Strong weekend sales have helped, but years of reduced sales take a toll, she said.
Mendenhall said one big problem is that the costs of goods and services have gone up across the board and businesses have not figured out how to pass those onto customers without making the prices feel too expensive.
On a brighter note, Lily’s said it had its best Thursday ever two days after it made its plea on Facebook.
Hardship
Barrel House, located at 417 E. Third St., has shared information about some of its challenges on social media.
Co-owner Stathes said Barrel House asked for support when its AC unit failed and thankfully people showed up and helped out.
But Stathes said the future of the craft beer and wine bar and bottle shop is still very uncertain.
“It seems like most independent, small businesses are struggling,” he said. “Especially in the service industry and non-essential retail markets. I think it all boils down to the economy.”
Stathes said the cost of living is obscene. He said people are struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table and small-batch, high-quality beers and products are a luxury. He said they’ve been trying to lower their draft prices and cut costs in other areas.
Barrel House’s seventh anniversary is on Saturday, Nov. 16. Stathes said they are relying on this event to get through the rest of the year.
Sara Levin, co-owner of Barrel House, said something needs to give when it comes to inflation and the general cost of living in order for small businesses to survive.
She said it’s also important that people spend consciously.
“If there’s a place in town that you want to still be around in February, support them now, in whatever way you can,” she said. “It’s not enough for a place to be a handful of peoples’ favorite spot. Share small businesses’ posts, tell your friends and family to go there, leave great reviews. Every little bit adds up to make a difference.”
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Robin Sassenberg, the owner of the Trolley Stop in the Oregon District, told this newspaper earlier this year that the bar’s sales and foot traffic appear to be down and that people are drinking less and going out less frequently.
She said people are watching their spending, and some downtown residents who live near the rapidly growing area around Day Air Ballpark no longer make the trip to the Oregon District because they other businesses are closer to their homes.
“I’ve been through a few ups and downs here — I am hopeful it’s just a temporary slowdown,” she said. “We’re all waiting here for all of our friends to come back out.”
Sassenberg put Trolley Stop up for sale over the summer. She said she has some health challenges and she’s ready to move on to the next chapter in her life.
Roost Modern Italian in the Oregon District rebranded as Culina over the summer.
Chef Dana Downs said she decided to pivot from fine dining to a fine-casual service model in large part because of the economic climate. She said she wanted the restaurant to be more “relatable.”
“Fine dining is not dead, but it’s difficult,” Downs told this news outlet. “We just don’t want to be a celebration place. We want to be a place you can come all the time.”
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