Coronavirus In Pennsylvania: Businesses Wondering If They Will Survive Virus Pandemic
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- We're well into the first week of the coronavirus shutdowns and cutbacks, and local businesses are feeling the pinch.
Some are even wondering if they'll even make it.
"It's been a real drain on my workers, my suppliers and myself," said Richard Rattner of William Penn Tavern.
The tavern is a sit-down business.
"Before this, my takeout business was roughly five percent," Rattner said.
Josh Patrick came in to get his lunch on Thursday.
"Just support the local business. Everybody is trying to stay open and make money," Patrick said.
Rattner says this could not have come at a worse time.
"From St. Patrick's Day to graduation, a lot of the bars and restaurants in the East End make about 40-50 percent of their money on the year," Rattner said.
Just around the corner at Yoshino Asian Fusion, the chairs are empty but the phone is ringing.
"My regular customers always support me. They make a pickup to go and deliveries. That's all I got right now," Kelsand Guialtan said.
Shuttered businesses are all over the area, like in Wilkinsburg.
Sal Di Pasquale says his take-out business is doing OK, but with the bar closed and the tables empty, he's uncertain.
"It already hurts," said the owner of Salvatore's. "It's hard enough to maintain on a normal basis, and this is just like another little setback that hopefully, we get through it.