This article is co-written by Judith Garza and Taylor Williams.
Several states across the American Southeast will begin reopening non-essential businesses on May 1, including Milligan College’s home state of Tennessee. At a conference held in Nashville on April 20, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that the “Safer at Home” order for Tennesseans will expire on April 30, allowing businesses that specialize in retail and entertainment to open their doors to the public.
Citing economic impact as the primary concern, Lee noted, “While the health outlook is showing signs of improvement, our economic outlook tells a very different story.” Such economic difficulties have impacted small businesses. Perhaps most notably, they have left owners and managers with unique challenges.
Matt Rogers, manager of the Elizabethton-based Mason Joe Coffee ToGo, spoke to how COVID-19 and the “Safer at Home” order has impacted his local business. Rogers, whose business serves a wide variety of coffee and non-coffee beverages, said, “Once the virus hit, it remained slow for a short time then picked up once we were one of the few places still open.”
While Mason Joe Coffee ToGo was deemed essential by the State of Tennessee early into the COVID-19 spread, Rogers noted that the reopening of bigger, non-essential businesses is a cause for concern. “We hope that we continue to have a good, steady increase and flow of business… and that people continue to support small businesses.”
Taylor Way, the owner of Crop Hair Studio located on West State of Franklin Road, has stated that because the hair industry is a “close-contact” business, they will still remain closed for at least a couple of weeks after other businesses have opened. However, reopening will not stop Way’s business from following the hygiene guidelines.
“We require a certain level of skill, education and training to keep our studio upscale, transformative and elite,” Way said. “Our board regulations already require us to use hospital-grade disinfectants. We’re constantly sweeping, disinfecting and wiping down shared surfaces, as well as cleaning our tools, and washing our hands between clients.”
“We can’t wait to see our guests again and play with their hair,” Way said when discussing business after reopening. “We truly feel like our turn near the front lines is approaching as we undoubtedly will be serving as a “rehab center” for quarantine cuts, and we all love a challenge.”
Lee’s “Safer at Home” order expires April 30 for Tennessee though, some non-essential businesses have received permission to open as early as April 27.
Headline photo: The sign for Mason Joe Coffee ToGo in Elizabethton, TN.