THERE'S
THERE'S NO QUESTION BUSINESSES HAVE SUFFERED BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
WHAT STARTED WITH LOSING SXSW
AND THE AUSTIN CITY
LIMITS FESTIVAL HAS GROWN IN TO
A DAILY STRUGGLE FOR
BARS, RESTAURANTS, AND
RETAILERS.
RETAILERS. BUT JUST HOW MANY HAD TO CLOSE
HAS BEEN TOUGH TO MEASURE... UNTIL NOW.
THE KVUE DEFENDERS SIFTED
THROUGH
MONTHS OF SALES TAX REVENUE
FIGURES - TO
GET A BETTER IDEA OF THE TRUE
IMPACT COVID HAS HAD
ON BUSINESSES IN OUR
COMMUNITIES.
COMMUNITIES. HERE'S INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
TERRI GRUCA.
TERRI GRUCA. IT'S A GRIM PICTURE FOR
THOUSANDS OF CENTRAL TEXAS BUSINESS OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD TO
CLOSE AMID THE
PANDEMIC.
SOME SMALL MOM AND POP SHOPS -
TO BUSINESSES
THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR
GENERATIONS.
REAL LIFE OFTEN MIMICS A GAME --
BUT THE STAKES ARE SO MUCH
HIGHER.
LIKE A GAME OF AUSTINOPOLY...
THERE ARE MANY LESSONS TO UNFOLD
FROM THIS
YEAR.
AND STARK REMINDERS OF HOW MUCH
WE'VE LOST.
BUSINESS WAS ROLLING ALONG -- AT
PLACES LIKE DIANA'S
FLOWER SHOP IN EAST AUSTIN.
WE WERE DOING VERY, VERY WELL.
THEN COVID HIT.
AND BUSINESS STOPPED.
IT WAS HARD TO TELL PEOPLE THEY
COULD NOT COME IN BECAUSE THIS
IS
A PLACE WHERE WE GATHERED AND WE
HUGGED AND WE CRIED AND WE
LAUGHED.
IT'S BEEN A TOUGH FOR MANY
BUSINESSES TO
KNOW HOW TO MOVE ON.
THE KVUE DEFENDERS OBTAINED
SALES TAX REVENUE
DATA FROM THE STATE COMPTOLLER'S
OFFICE.
WE LOOKED AT HOW CITIES ACROSS
CENTRAL TEXAS
HAVE FARED OVER THE PAST YEAR TO
MEASURE THE
TOLL COVID HAS HAD.
THE RECORDS SHOW AUSTIN HAS LOST
1,685 BUSINESSES.
THAT FIGURE INCLUDES 81 BARS, 66
RESTAURANTS
AND 43 RETAILERS.
THE SUBURBS HAVE SUFFERED TOO.
ROUND ROCK LOST 1,032
BUSINESSES, PFLUGERVILLE
944.
EVEN THE OUTER LYING SUBURBS -
THE ONES SEEING
THE MOST GROWTH -- ARE LOSING
BUSINESSES.
RESTAURANT :17-:21
WE SHUT DOWN FOR TWO AND A HALF
WEEKS
HAVING A PATIO, CURBSIDE SERVICE
AND A CONTINGENCY
PLAN HAVE HELPED HOPS AND THYME
IN LAKEWAY.
THE LAKE TRAVIS COMMUNITY LOST 4
RESTAURANTS IN
THE LAST YEAR.
WE'VE KIND OF CHANGED OUR
BUSINESS PLAN. SO WE'RE DOING
TOUCHLESS MENUS WITH THE QR
CODES, ROLLING SILVERWARE AND
PAPER AND SORT OF NAPPER OR AND
JUST KIND OF ADAPTING NOW TO,
I GUESS, THE NEW NORMAL.
OVERALL THE SUBURBS HAVE DONE
BETTER.
BUT EVERY COMMUNITY EXCEPT
LEANDER LOST
RESTAURANTS.
IN FACT LOOKING AT SALES TAX
REVENUE FOR
CITIES AROUND AUSTIN - YOU COULD
SAY LEANDER HAS
TAKEN THE BANK.
LEANDER HAS BEEN FANTASTIC. NOT
JUST OUR CUSTOMERS, BUT
OTHER BUSINESSES. WE'VE ALL
REALLY KIND OF BANDED
TOGETHER,
LEANDER ADDED 8 BUSINESSES IN
THE LAST YEAR - INCLUDING THE
TASTING ROOM AT LEANDERTHAL
DISTILLERY.
DISTILLERY / 4:20-:28
I WAS CONFIDENT WE WERE GOING TO
STICK IT OUT NO MATTER WHAT, AND
WE WERE GOING TO GET THROUGH
THIS.
SCOTT OPENED HIS TASTING ROOM
MONTHS BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC HIT -- IT WAS
ACCOUNTING FOR 40-PERCENT
OF SALES.
AND WHEN THE PANDEMIC FORCED
THEM TO CLOSE --
SCOTT TOOK A CHANCE AND STARTED
MAKING HAND
SANITIZER.
DISTILLERY 3:20-:27
INSTEAD OF SELLING ONE BOTTLE AT
A TIME TO CUSTOMERS,
WE WERE SELLING FIVE, 10, 20
GALLONS AT A TIME TO COMMERCIAL
COMPANIES.
IT WORKED -- AND KEPT MONEY
COMING IN.
NOW THAT THE TASTING ROOM IS
OPEN AGAIN -- THEY ARE
TAKING RESERVATIONS AND BUSINESS
IS PICKING BACK
UP.
COMMUNITY HAS BEEN THE KEY TO
BUSINESS SUCCESS.
AUSTIN BUSINESSES HAVE SUFFERED
FROM THE LACK
OF TRAFFIC.
MORE PEOPLE WORKING FROM HOME
MEANT MORE PEOPLE
SPENDING MONEY NEAR THEIR HOMES.
IT ALL PROVED TOO MUCH FOR
DIANA, WHO ALSO TAKES
CARE OF HER AGING PARENTS.
I KNOW I CAN GO BACK AND I CAN
OPEN A BUSINESS AND WE'LL DO
JUST
FINE. BUT I RATHER HAVE MY
PARENTS HEALTHY AND SAFE AND
CARED FOR.
THERE'S NO MONEY IN THE WORLD TO
REPLACE IT.
SO AFTER 40 YEARS -- DIANA'S
FLOWER SHOP HAS CLOSED.
LIKE A GROWING NUMBER OF
BUSINESSES -- SHE IS OUT OF
THE GAME -- FOR GOOD.
FOR COMPARISON, THE KVUE
DEFENDERS
CHECKED OTHER MAJOR CITIES
ACROSS TEXAS AND FOUND SAN
ANTONIO, FORT WORTH, DALLAS AND
HOUSTON COMBINED LOST
CLOSE TO 7-THOUSAND BUSINESSES.
SAN ANTONIO, FORT WORTH AND
HOUSTON HAD SLIGHT
INCREASES IN SALES TAX REVENUES
DURING THE
LAST YEAR.BUT DALLAS HAD A 5%
DROP.
FOR THE KVUE DEFENDERS TERRI
GRUCA.
GRUCA.