How are businesses faring during Seattle’s snowstorm?
Feb 11, 2019, 6:43 PM | Updated: Feb 12, 2019, 7:15 am
Snow on Eastlake Ave (Nick Bowman / MyNorthwest)
(Nick Bowman / MyNorthwest)
If you’re a store that sells shovels, salt or alcohol, it’s safe to say that business has been good during Seattle’s latest snowstorm. But how are other businesses faring? The Jason Rantz Show spoke to a few neighborhood businesses on Eastlake and it turns out that coffee and pastries are as essential as shovels.
“On Saturday we had a really, really busy day,” said Zoe Martin, Manager at Grand Central Bakery. “We had a shorter schedule but we were slammed.”
Food made by someone else clearly doesn’t go out of style in a snowstorm, especially when numerous grocery stores have become barren landscapes.
“I think a lot of people don’t want to cook, and grocery stores have been nuts lately and everything’s out,” Martin said. “So it’s nice to have a walk in the snow and grab some coffee and a pastry.”
RELATED: Stubborn snow continues, rain reported in some areas
It’s the same story for Paul Proios, Co-manager of 14 Carrot Cafe, who closed the cafe for the first time for weather-related reasons in 27 years.
“We only close on Christmas day, so when we close during the snow it really hurts us. We’ve always been open during every snowstorm; it’s one of our best days, actually,” he said.
“When it snows the neighborhood comes up here, they order mimosas. It’s a big party. It’s like a ski lodge. We usually have people ski down Lynn Street and park their skis up here, and it’s really crowded. We closed for the first time in any snowstorm in 27 years. We regret doing it.”
RELATED: King County Metro bus service greatly reduced amid snow and ice
Armistice Coffee Roaster and Eastlake Specialty Market also saw no real dip in business as a result of the snow. If hot food and supplies were present, people seemed to have no trouble trudging through the slush for it.
The one business on Eastlake that saw a dip? That would be Aloha Dry Cleaners.
“Last Friday business was bad, and Saturday was nothing, zero customers,” said owner Kyong Yi. You’d think all those toasty dry cleaning machines would be a lure, but perhaps it’s a little easier to walk in the snow with a coffee than a tablecloth.
Still, she expects things to pickup when people are driving a little more. The salt stains on everyone’s clothing should help.
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