Sacramento, CA is home to many small businesses and small business owners. Restaurants are among the most common types of these businesses.
However, according to fourth.com, many of those restaurants closed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The question though, is how did the pandemic affect those restaurants?
The pandemic was a hard time for all of us, but it was even harder for small restaurant owners. During the pandemic, many small restaurants were forced to close down due to high rent, lack of business, lack of employee payment, and overall inflation.
How did the pandemic cause those terrible things? According to brookings.edu, it’s simply the fact that it directly raised prices rather than wages. Nationwide Financial claims that the pandemic, “has played a leading role in the jump in inflation as lingering COVID-induced supply chain disruptions have made it difficult to find some items while driving up consumer prices.”
What they mean by this is that because of COVID-19, many of the supply chains that would deliver food and all of the materials that are needed to supply a restaurant were highly affected. Whether that be staff issues, trouble transporting the product to the supply chains, or there was no product at all.
COVID-19 also caused issues in the farming industry. Not only did COVID-19 cause a supply crisis, but it affected mankind. There were no laborers to farm for the food that would be needed to supply those restaurants, which played a huge role in why these businesses shut down.
As well as the restaurants that are shut down, there are many Sacramento restaurants that are struggling and not far from closing completely. These restaurants could be victims of the same problem. Considering the fact that these businesses are the only source of income for the owners, we need to stop these closures.
One restaurant, Old Soul Coffee, is a perfect example of going from struggling to success in their business. Old Soul Coffee had seen its patronage decline. All because of coronavirus. Although they had this decline, they managed to keep going and have their business continue to strive.
How did they manage this? All because of other local businesses. As well as their customers and their continued support. Customers would instead go to Old Soul Coffee to pick up coffee beans instead of paying extra at say, a grocery store. This is what we are trying to endeavor for. For people to continue to go to these small businesses to stop the restaurant closures.
Give your support to the following small businesses, though these aren’t the only ones facing possible closure, and try to make a change.
Oscar’s Very Mexican Food – 3061 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95818 or 1350 Harbor Blvd A, West Sacramento, CA 95691
La Capital – 1535 N St, Sacramento, CA 95814
Thai Canteen – 1501 16th St Ste109, Sacramento, CA 95814
Tres Hermanas – 3260 J St, Sacramento, CA 95816
Simon‘s Bar and Cafe – 1415 16th St, Sacramento, CA 95814