Small businesses fight for survival as they reopen
(14 Jul 2020) As New York businesses reopen after the COVID-19 lockdown, they have to balance the safety of their staff and patrons with their own feelings of excitement and anxiety. The New York City neighborhood of Jackson Heights is a bustling and diverse community in the borough of Queens with an array of languages and cultures. On 74th Street many of the businesses serve local immigrant residents from South Asia - Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Nepali. "We are opening the business, but we don't know if people will come, like regularly or we can make some business in this month or the coming few months. We are afraid," said, Chander Shekhar, co-owner of Shopno Fashion, a clothing store on 74th street reopening on June 22, 2020, the first day of New York City's "Phase 2" opening. After months of uncertainty over the pandemic, business owners are hesitant to express total confidence about the future. "Now it looks normal, we are coming out, but I'm not sure if the customers are going to come out because Jackson Heights is all over the news, you must have heard that this is the epicenter of this, you know, COVID," said Harshit Chugh, co-owner, Rahul's Couture / Bridal, a large boutique located on 74th Street. On his first day of reopening, Shakhar said he had four customers and $200 in sales. He needs $700 to cover costs and turn a small profit. His rent for the store is $6,000 a month. "I hope everything will be good in the future, (it will) take little time, like when the vaccine come. The government says this vaccine will be coming next coming next year. So, it is hard, but we have to survive," he said. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
