Although the first coronavirus case in Texas was reported in January, the new virus turned Pearland and Friendswood upside down in mid-March.
Small-business owners have been feeling the pain of the virus, particularly since Gov. Greg Abbott signed an order March 19 closing all dine-in service. Abbott asked for all Texans to continue to limit their activities to essential activities through at least April 30. Schools remain closed through the end of the year. On April 17, Abbott discussed a measure to open businesses gradually.
“The first week of March was really good; we were on pace for the same numbers as last year, maybe a little better. On the eighth day, business started to go down,” said Jad Zeidan, the owner of Jado’z Grill House in Friendswood.
Once the dust settles on the coronavirus, the survival of local businesses is one of the things local officials are most concerned with.
“We are concerned about small businesses,” Friendswood Mayor Mike Foreman said. “I am hopeful that restaurants are doing OK. Some of the businesses, like my barber ... I am kind of concerned. I hope these people will be able to hang in there somehow.”
Preventive measures
As of April 16, there were 285 reported coronavirus cases in Brazoria County and 421 in Galveston County. Cases in the Houston area continue to rise exponentially. Due to recommendations from the governor and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to slow the spread of the virus, both Galveston and Brazoria counties issued stay-at-home orders. Galveston County was the first county in the Greater Houston area to do so, as it announced the order March 23.
“Most people are in agreement that we have to take some pretty Draconian steps here to beat this disease back before it overwhelms the hospitals and health system,” Foreman said. “I think there is a limit to how long people can be cooped up in their homes. Hopefully it will have the right effect and we will see a bending of the curve.”
The city of Pearland issued its own stay-at-home order, has partnered with other cities and closed city facilities through April 30.
“The entire organization is focused upon reactions and making sure that we continue essential services upon which people rely,” City Manager Clay Pearson said at the March 23 City Council meeting.
The city of Friendswood has evaluated its continuity of operations plan and its pandemic plan and also closed city facilities, City Manager Morad Kabiri said.
“Obviously this is something unlike what we have ever witnessed and experienced before. There is the concern of the disease and the mental health of our residents and the economy,” Kabiri said.
Businesses work to stay afloat
As government bodies navigate how to keep cities and counties afloat, businesses and restaurants are struggling to keep going.
For Pyramids Pharmacy owner Dalia Kasseb, the pharmacy’s staff is doing what they always do but “on steroids,” she said.
The pharmacy has adopted curbside services, free delivery and contact-free delivery. The business is trying to keep its employees and customers safe from the virus while making sure customers are still taking their regular prescriptions, Kasseb said.
“One thing we say to our patients is that yes, this is a scary time ... but the most important thing you can do is stay healthy,” Kasseb said. “If you do, God forbid, attract COVID-19, you need to be in your best state of health.”
Restaurants have also had to adapt the way they do business, as some have seen a dramatic dip in sales, Zeidan and Sheri Rabanal, the owner at Taglia Fresh Italian, said.
When Rabanal saw less business coming in due to the virus, she figured out how much she would need to make daily to keep all of her employees. Since then, she has worked to change the way the restaurant does business in order to stay afloat, including converting all waitstaff to delivery drivers.
“I tell people we trained the waitstaff for a month before the restaurant opened. We didn’t train at all to do this,” she said.
Taglia Italian Restaurant has just celebrated its six-month mark in Pearland, and the business is seeing 30% of the sales it had raked in prior, Rabanal said. Those sales have been mainly boosted by loyal customers, she said.
“When I see people placing to go, a lot are people who come in once a week or once every couple of weeks,” she said.
Jado’z has also been supported by loyal customers, Zeidan said.
“We have a lot of loyal customers that come. They show their support. That helps,” Zeidan said.
While revenue is down from the lunch rush, there is still a good dinner crowd, Zeidan said. What the business is making now is able to pay for Jado’z employees and rent. Everything else, including electricity, Zeidan is left to figure out.
“I just hope things get back to normal relatively soon,” he said.
