How small businesses are recovering during the pandemic

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -It’s a well known fact that locally owned businesses help to boost local economy and provide stable jobs for employment.

Since reopening back in July, Dean’s Restaurant in Oak Ridge is slowly bouncing back from being shut down due to the pandemic.

Some changes restaurant owner, Dean Russell has had to make include letting go of staff members and providing curbside pickup.

Russell says despite the challenges things are slowly looking up.

“On a positive note we’re a little slower so it gives me an opportunity to train some of the new staff. On the bad side we’re a little slower. We’re a small business but we have a big reach in the community. We feed 300-600 people a day when we’re rolling,” said Dean Russell.

Another small business having to make adjustments, Fitness Studio 111 in downtown Knoxville.

The studio provides personal training by appointment only. Trainer and owner of the gym, Roderick Haynes says he’s been able to keep all of his employees.

“It’s still slow. It wasn’t a great turn-out as before. But they are slowly coming back. Everybody is beginning to become comfortable now. They know that here we keep everything clean. We’re just by appointment only so they know it’s not a lot of people in the gym at one time,” said Roderick Haynes

Haynes also says the studio now offers virtual trainings for clients since reopening back in May.

Entrepreneur Kelli Derieux says since the pandemic, she’s been able to adapt by creating an online website for her skincare company The Beauty Mrkt.

“To be able to be able to sell my products to customers who couldn’t make it into the store, we also offered curb-side pick up for people that ordered on line or placed a phone order,” said Kelli Derieux the Owner of The Beauty Mrkt

Just like Russell and Haynes, Derieux says she is also waiting for the foot traffic of customers to return back to normal.

To learn more and to support these local businesses during the pandemic, click the links below:

Dean’s Restaurant

Fitness Studio 111

The Beauty Mrkt

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