Back in business
As restrictions begin to loosen, Black Mountain merchants prepare to reopen their doors
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 9, 2020
Tom and Kim McMurtry, owners and operators of Europa on Cherry Street, are some of the many local business owners who will reopen today, as the state begins its first phase of easing restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fred McCormick
It’s been over a month since customers walked through the doors of most downtown Black Mountain merchants, as restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 led to the widespread closure of businesses deemed nonessential.
Today, as the state enters its first full day of its three-phase plan to lift those measures and restart the economy, Swannanoa Valley business owners will begin welcoming patrons, but many are unsure what to expect.
April was supposed to be a big month for Sassafras. Owners Susanne and Cole Blumer announced in February that the bookstore on the corner of Cherry Street and Sutton Avenue would expand its operation to include the top floor of the historic building it’s occupied for the past two years. While the public health crisis delayed those plans, Susanne and her staff will debut the renovated space today.
“We had just gotten all of our merchandise delivered when the quarantine happened,” Susanne said. “But, the positive thing is that it gave me time to make it perfect. The timing could have been better, but it looks amazing now and we’re excited for everyone to see it.”
The debut of the top floor of Sassafras, a downtown Black Mountain bookstore at Cherry Street and Sutton Avenue, will take place today, as businesses across the state begin the process of reopening. Fred McCormick
Sassafras was forced to furlough its employees while residents throughout were ordered to stay at home, beginning March 26. As roughly 80% of the staff returns to work, reopening brings a mixture of “excitement and apprehension,” according to Susanne.
“There are a lot of unknowns, but we are going to try to mitigate the risks the best we can,” she said. “Luckily, we have a lot of space so we can practice social distancing fairly easily. We will limit the number of people in our store, but not to the extent we’re allowed. We can have up to 100 people in here based on the regulations, but we won’t have that many.”
Sassafras has been taking appointments for customers in an attempt to limit the number of people in the building at one time, but the bookstore plans to accommodate walk-in patrons, as well. A table with hand sanitizer will be set up in front of the Cherry Street entrance while the Sutton Avenue entrance will remain closed. The coffee bar inside of Sassafras will remain closed until the second phase of the state’s plan, and the store has reduced its operating hours from seven days a week to five.
Still, it’s difficult to predict just what the first day of reopening will look like.
“I have a feeling downtown will be kind of busy,” Susanne said. “People are ready to get out of their homes, but I expect things will slow down next week. Until Phase III kicks in, I don’t think we’ll be consistently busy and it’s hard for me to imagine things getting back to normal until next year.”
Around the corner, on Broadway Avenue, Grace Jewelers reopened on May 1 after initially closing its doors to the public for several weeks. Owner Nathaniel Ruland, whose family has operated the business for more than two decades, made the decision to return to work after analyzing the available data regarding COVID-19 in Buncombe County. As an essential business that offers appraisals, currency exchange and electrical supplies, Grace was permitted to resume operation.
“It’s been interesting,” Ruland said. “We have tape on the floor to mark distance between customers, hand sanitizer and gloves for people who would like to wear them.”
While traffic in the store has been down, he said, a steady flow of customers have patronized the jeweler.
“The day I reopened, I had a bunch of people come in who were waiting on us to reopen,” Ruland said. “I’ve had a great response doing Facebook Live presentations and people in the community have been supportive through social media, so a lot of people were ready to see us reopen. It’s been really encouraging to have that support from the local community.”
As more businesses in town reopen on Saturday, Ruland anticipates an increase in people eager to spend time away from their homes.
Nathaniel Ruland, owner and operator of Grace Jewelers. Courtesy photo
“Saturday is usually a tourist day for Black Mountain and the locals don’t usually come out as much to shop,” he said. “Most of my business is usually during the week, but I definitely expect to see a lot of people out and about, but not necessarily coming in to see us.”
However, Ruland added, it’s encouraging to see businesses resuming operations.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ll all be stronger as the result of this,” he said. “Once we get through this thing, I think it’s a thing that we’ll all be able to look at as a time in our lives that was special, terrifying and, ultimately, strengthening.”
While the initial phase of reopening businesses is a welcome sight for Tom and Kim McMurtry, owners and operators of Europa, a return to normal is likely to be a long process. The McMurtrys closed the doors to their storefront, which will mark its sixth anniversary on May 10, immediately after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Buncombe County.
“It’s sort of a relief to reopen,” Tom said. “But, it’s still kind of a wait-and-see situation because nobody is sure what will happen.”
With Mother’s Day approaching, the business owner believes that people will take advantage of the opportunity to shop in local stores, even as restrictions on overnight leisure travel for out-of-town visitors continue.
“I think we’ll see people coming from areas like Charlotte, Greenville, places like that, just for the day,” he said. “Everyone has been cooped up in their homes, and with Mother’s Day coming up, a lot of people haven’t been able to get gifts.”
Like many business owners, the McMurtrys have been working to implement safety measures required to resume operation.
“We’ve printed signs from the county and marked out spaces on the floors to help customers stand at least six apart at the cash register,” Tom said. “We put a sneeze guard in place at the register, which feels foreign because typically you want to be face-to-face with your customers without something between you. But, we’re doing the preparation we need to do to be ready to reopen.”
While Europa has been closed, the McMurtrys have also found ways to help support fellow small business owners during this challenging time. Their “Black Mountain Strong” initiative, which supports local merchants through the sale of t-shirts, has raised more than $2,500 in recent weeks.
That help is needed as shops that typically rely on out-of-town visitors feel the strain of the economic downturn resulting from the extended closure of businesses. The impact of the crisis will likely continue for the foreseeable future, according to Tom.
“The key will be people feeling like it’s OK to get out,” he said. “That’s going to take some time. The other part of this, is that because unemployment is so high right now, it will be crucial that people have income to buy the things that they need and want. For those unemployment numbers to go down, Phase II and III will need to happen as soon as they can. I think it will take six months to a year before we see any kind of major turnaround.”
While the journey to economic recovery for downtown business owners figures to be a lengthy one, Saturday represents the first step.
“We’ll have to see how everything goes,” Susanne said of the reopening of Sassafras. “Most of us have never been through anything like this before, so this is going to be a good test.”