BOISE, Idaho — As the coronavirus pandemic continues, the effects of the virus is having a major impact on Treasure Valley businesses.
"I have been at Goodys for six years and I have never seen the store look like this," said Kati Durkin, the assistant manager at Goody's.
On a typical day in early spring, Durkin says the ice cream parlor would be slammed, but on Sunday that wasn't the case and likely won't be for the foreseeable future. Goody's, along with every restaurant and bar in Boise, has been forced to close their indoor and outdoor dining areas. But Goody's isn’t completely closed.
"We are still having people come into our store, but it is to go only," Durkin said. "We take their order; they wait outside and we bring it out to them."
Goody's is only allowing five people into the shop at a time to place an order. Sales are down 30%, but Durkin says it's not all bad.
"I was definitely worried that people would be frustrated but everyone is very aware of what's going on right now and they want to do their part as well," Durkin said. "Everyone has been super nice when they come in, they have been self-monitoring the five people in the store at a time. People have been really friendly, tipping really well, tips have been up."
While the coronavirus is causing many local businesses like Goody's to suffer, other businesses like Idaho Guns are seeing a huge uptick in sales.
"Our sales are up dramatically, probably 500%or more," Scott Stirrat, the owner of Idaho Guns, explained during a phone interview on Sunday. "I’m not really sure why people are buying a truckload of toilet paper or a truckload of ammunition for that matter but I guess they are afraid something is going to happen and they want to be supplied for it."
Stirrat also said he has a new wave of customers.
"We are seeing a lot of people coming in almost frantic that have never had a gun and want one for the first time," he said.
And while sales at Goody's may look different, both Durkin and Stirrat said they are grateful for the business.
At KTVB, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: www.ktvb.com/coronavirus.
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