It has been about a month since non-essential businesses had to close down to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. They had planned on opening back up on April 16, but the restrictions have been extended through April 30. The closure has prevented some businesses from expanding. Flowing Tide Pub was about to open its seventh location, just days after Governor Sisolak's order.
"That Tuesday, that March 17, that St. Patty's Day was supposed to be right around our grand opening of Flowing Tide #7 on Mira Loma, and that didn't happen," Justin Moscove, Partner with Flowing Tide Pub said.
The new location had been in the works since last summer, when Moscove started working on the lease details. Construction started in September. The building is ready to open but that can't happen yet.
"We're paying rent there, we're paying utilities, we're paying everything," Moscove said.
Jeremy DeMarzo is the owner of Icecycle Creamery and Pedalers Deli. He was planning on opening another restaurant in Midtown called Black Rock Dessert. That is also getting delayed. DeMarzo says it is hard to get contractors during the pandemic. His landlords have also frozen funds for building improvements.
"Now, I definitely have to dip into some more of my funds to be able to get this finished," DeMarzo said. "Fortunately, my landlord has also frozen our rent so that's why we're also able to stay in business and basically just be able to pay payroll right now."
DeMarzo's ice cream shop and deli are still open for take-out orders. He says he is only doing 25-50 percent of his usual business. Before the shutdown, business was good.
"Before all this went down, we were driving an amazing winter," DeMarzo said. "Probably the best numbers I've ever seen for a wintertime for this business. Our business is normally, primarily takeout anyway. So I'm just remaining hopeful and positive."
DeMarzo is hoping to re-open his businesses soon. Summer is on the way and that means more people might be coming in for a cold treat.
"I make all of the ice cream in-house," DeMarzo said. "I've got about 300 different flavors that I've worked from and switch them out, continuously."
He says he is ready to open up 100 percent as soon as he is allowed to. Especially, because ice cream is a low-risk product.
"I make it, freeze it, everything around here is super sanitized," DeMarzo said. "I basically live in a bleach bubble most of my life."
Business at the Flowing Tide is much different. Counting the seventh restaurant, only three stayed open for curbside pickup. Today, only the South Meadows is offering the service. Before the shutdown, Moscove said just cutting business in half would be hard. Now, he says that would be a relief.
"Please, let me do that," Moscove said. "I'll take 10 percent open. Just something to get the blood pumping again."
Moscove has applied for federal loans, including the Paycheck Protection Program which could become a grant if he meets certain criteria. 75 percent of the money has to go towards payroll and companies have to maintain the same number of employees for eight weeks. Flowing Tide has about 200 employees but only about a dozen are still working. Many others are collecting unemployment benefits.
"They're getting their unemployment plus $600 a week," Moscove said. "It's more appetizing for them to stay on unemployment than come back and work for us."
In the meantime, he is doing some maintenance and cleaning to make sure everything is ready to go when he can open his doors again.
"Today, we're touching up on stain over there," Moscove said. "We're redoing some of the bar tops. Just all of our maintenance we couldn't get done being open and so busy. This is the time to catch up on all of it."
Non-essential businesses are hoping they can open up on May 1.
