Franklin business owners reflect on reopening

Following Governor John Bel Edwards’ easing of restrictions on Louisiana businesses as of May 1, business operations statewide have resumed, but with certain provisions.

According to Edwards’ executive order, “essential businesses” as defined by the federal government, restaurants but only with outdoor, server-less dining, shopping malls with curbside pick-up only, and non-essential retail and “grey area” businesses are permitted to resume operations.

However, all employees of the businesses who deal with the public must wear masks, and there can be no more than 10 people in an establishment at a time.

This means that more local businesses have been able to begin the process of getting back to work.

Nelvin Coleman, owner of Nelvin’s Creations, a party supply and rental shop at 605 Main St., Franklin, said she is taking it day by day.

“ I mask up and stay at a distance,” Coleman said, “I closed in the middle of March, and I am barely open right now, off and on. I try not to make it an everyday thing.

“ Everybody else has been closed, too. It’s just a hot mess.”

Coleman said her business was located on Willow Street for its first six years, and that she has only been in operation at her Main Street location for the past year, where she reported experiencing success until the pandemic crisis hit Louisiana.

“ I was really enjoying it,” she said, “and just getting the hang of things. I really didn’t want to close down, because I like what I do.”

As for the future, Coleman said she intends to just wait and see if her holiday traffic can bring some semblance of normalcy back to her business.

“ The doors are open,” she implored. “I’m waiting for business. You dream it, and I’ll create it.”

Another Main Street location that has gone back to work is Meyer’s Shoe Store, located at 617 Main St., Franklin, open since 1939, and closed to walk-in patronage from March 20 until April 29.

Henry Friedman has owned Meyer’s Shoe Store since 1979 and said he has never seen anything like the recent statewide curtailing of retail operations.

Since reopening, and as per the governor’s order, Friedman reported that he and his employees are maintaining a six-foot distance between store personnel and customers; all employees are wearing masks when around customers; shoe fittings have had to be discontinued due to contact restrictions; customers are required to bring their own socks if they want to try on shoes; and with an eight-customer limit in-store at-a-time, only two members per group or family are allowed in.

Monday through Friday, business hours are only different by 30 minutes, taking the original 9:30 to 5:30 hours down to 9:30 to 5 p.m., with Saturday’s original 9:30 to 3 p.m. hours staying the same.

“ I don’t know what the future is going to hold,” Friedman said. “I don’t think I could have gone any farther without reopening. And, if things get bad again, that’ll probably be the end of my business. If there is another big uptick with the virus, and we have to close again for any period of time, I don’t think my business can survive it. Small businesses like this can’t survive being closed for two months. It’s impossible. I can’t figure any way it would work.”

As things stand, and without a dreaded second operational hiatus, Friedman stated that he thinks Meyer’s Shoe Store will be able to slog it out until all restrictions are lifted.

He thanked the local community for their support following the store’s reopening, “We’ve had a good response. People are spending their stimulus money, and we hope to continue to serve the community, so ‘thank you’ to the community. We really appreciate the support.”

Marnie Vaughan, owner of Bargain Barn and Bargain Barn Too, located at 218 Yokley Road and 720 Main St. respectively, tells a different story than that of necessary woe and want.

“ We are following the governor’s guidelines since reopening,” Vaughan said. “What we did was go to strictly online business. We really didn’t shut down. We just did our business all online, and we did really well.

“ I don’t have any overhead. I own everything. So, it really wasn’t a hardship (having to close store sites). It’s just me and my sister, and our husbands both have jobs, so this (Bargain Barn and Bargain Barn Too) is just a hobby, more than anything.”

Vaughan went on to say that though she hasn’t seen the kind of foot traffic at her store sites that she would like to see, she is not worried. She believes patrons are waiting for the stay-at-home order to be lifted by the governor on May 15.

“ From my point of view,” she said. “I think everybody just took a break, and learned to stay home and be with their family. It’s like a time-out. It’s like everybody took a time-out. People are going to come back. People are going to shop.

“ I think business is going to spring back. I don’t think it’s going to be detrimental (the shutdown).

“ It’s all good.”

Vaughan closed by saying, “If we all just follow the rules, and come shop, everybody will take care of everybody. We are all in this together and we’ll all get out of it together.”