LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Moves aimed at mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania have been having a huge impact on businesses in our area.
Many restaurants, bars, and cafes are losing cashflow because people can't dine in, and those businesses can't afford to adapt - for example, deliver food or offer takeout.
A Lancaster County organization is trying to help some of its neighboring businesses.
Elizabethtown Rotary Club members spent more than $11,000 on 26 local businesses over the course of 11 days. On average, they spent $958 each day because so many of the businesses need it.
If you drive through Etown right now, you’ll notice silent streets, empty sidewalks, and more parking spots than usual. Different businesses display the same sign - closed - per Governor Tom Wolf's order.
Gerson Pinzon says it's eerie. He owns Fuego Latino Restaurant and Catering in Elizabethtown.
“I had two weddings that I was supposed to cater, that we're kind of holding our breath for right now,” he explained.
Pinzon says the restaurant is managing to stay open despite the state of things.
“We’re very blessed being able to adjust our the way that we do business to be able to continue doing business,” added Pinzon.
Fuego Latino is offering delivery and roadside pickup. However, others in the area have not been so fortunate. Some, Pinzon says, are losing a huge amount of revenue because of COVID-19.
“March, April, and May last year were some of our biggest months, and a lot of my colleagues here we're getting ready for March, April, May because that's usually 100 percent growth in sales,” explained the restaurant owner.
That's where the Elizabethtown Rotary Club comes into play with something now dubbed ‘the rotary cash mob.’
“We knew there would be a lot of quality establishments that felt he cash flow pinch, so we felt we needed to motivate ourselves into action and we did so via the rotary cash mob,” explained Jeff Marco, a rotary member.
Members spent $11,493 at 26 different businesses in the borough over the course of 11 days. Different restaurants collected anywhere between hundreds and thousands of dollars.
“The total support to Gerson’s restaurant with over $1,400 in orders, and we had similar stories with other restaurants,” added Marsico.
It’s yet another story of people helping people during an uncertain time. Both men are hoping to hear similar tales elsewhere. They are urging people to support local businesses that may have a lot more on the line than a corporate chain.
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“We all put our dreams on the line here, so it's tough,” explained Pinzon. “It’s very tough. If you can support local, do it."