Finding Ways to Carry On
/I walked into Honey & Salt on Saturday morning and met a wholly unfamiliar - if not unexpected - sight. The dining area was completely empty, with just two employees working behind the counter.
On a normal Saturday morning at 10 am, there is a jumble of cars jockeying for the prime parking spots in front of the restaurant and a hungry crowd of people milling around Rainbow Row while waiting for a table to open up. In short, during normal times, Honey & Salt is one of the busiest places in Flat Rock on a weekend morning.
But, of course, these are not normal times.
We chatted with a view of our local merchants this week to see how they are coping with the new rules for business and the restrictions on the movement and gathering of private individuals. Here are a few of their stories.
Erin Hill, Owner, Honey & Salt
We caught up with Erin as she hurried to prepare to-go orders. Customers were waiting outside and she was carrying take-out orders to them as they came ready. Erin is especially busy now as her staff has been reduced from a high of 20 employees to a skeleton crew of three people that handle their takeout business. Their hours as slightly shorter - 8-1 instead of 7-2 - and there is the prospect that the number of days they are open each week will change as well. She explains that they are “just taking it week by week.”
Standing in the empty dining area, it seems incongruous to ask how her business is holding up. But her reply is more positive than I expected. "Takeout's been great. Our customers are absolutely wonderful and they have been super supportive,” she says as she continues to prep the next order. “I'm optimistic. I think we're going to get through this. And we plan on getting right back to normal as soon as we can.”
Erin worked as a nurse for 10 years so the safety protocols required during the pandemic are not entirely foreign to her. “I’m pretty used to having to go to work and deal with this kind of thing. We’re good about our protocol to keep things safe.” Still, she concedes it is not an ideal arrangement. “I have kids at home. I don't love having to do this and then go back to my family, but at the same time, my employees are another family.”
When I ask how people can help, Erin flashes an encouraging smile and says, “Takeout is wonderful. Calling to buy gift cards is wonderful. Honestly, I can't ask for any more than our customers have been doing. Everyone's been so great and so supportive.” With that, she collects two take out bags and heads to her waiting customers in the parking lot.
John Wilkerson, Park Ranger, The Park at Flat Rock
With the closing of Dupont State Park and the Carl Sandburg Historic Home trails, The Park at Flat Rock becomes the closest best option for people still wanting to get outdoors. To avoid people congregating, the Pavilion is closed and the playgrounds are off-limits for now. But the trails and open spaces remain accessible, and Park Ranger, John Wilkerson has noticed a difference in the way visitors are using The Park.
“We’ve definitely had more visitors than usual, with lots of first-timers,” he says. He knows they are first-timers when they spend time studying the maps. “And there are more people in the park exercising including cross-fit and martial arts groups.”
John also appreciates that parents have made adjustments with the playgrounds closed. “It’s been great to see parents finding different ways for their children to enjoy a visit to the park. I’ve seen a few kites and lots of balls and Frisbees.” With schools closed, John also sees more teens and 20-somethings in the park.
Throughout it all, he is gratified that The Park is more important than ever to the life of Flat Rock. “The mood of everyone I’ve interacted with has been very good and many have expressed their thanks to me that the park remaining open.”
Paige Posey, Managing Director, Flat Rock Playhouse
Few organizations in the Villag are taking a harder hit than Flat Rock Playhouse. Paige Posey, Managing Director shared this perspective on the pandemic’s impact on the Playhouse.
"The Playhouse was gearing up for a robust 2020 season of Puttin' on The Hits. Season subscription sales were up over the last several years, we were seeing the box office breaking sales records, patron feedback was extremely positive, a large number of travel groups were planning trips to the Playhouse and The Music of Queen in February rocked it outselling out performances with folks scrambling to try to get tickets.
Then suddenly the world stopped.
FRP is doing what every other theatre company across the US is doing - researching, talking with one another, developing option plans and mostly guessing. When can we come together again to share our stories, when will our patron community want to come back together, once the bans lift will people trust that coming together is safe?
We have been heartened by the number of responses of support including patrons who have generously donated the cost of their tickets. We plan to stay in touch over the coming weeks to keep folks informed as plans are made and adapted and ultimately we continue to believe the Show Must Go On!
Most importantly, in this moment, we want our valued friends and supporters and friends to stay home and stay safe until we get through this, which we will, and then we look very much forward to welcoming everyone back to the theatre - that day can't come soon enough." —Paige
Karen Kennedy, Owner, The Firefly Gallery
Not everyone has the option to power through the crisis. Karen has an autoimmune disease and her worries about contracting coronavirus compelled her to close her gallery until safety concerns subside. Her view of the future is cautious as she explained via email:
"A lot has changed for us...I miss being in the gallery! I worry about some of my regular customers who are elderly. I worry about our own family in Florida. Especially little Max, our grandson, who has almost zero immunity. His parents are working from home and trying to stay positive. I have stopped buying items for the gallery. I’m afraid to spend more money, until I reopen and things return to normal.
Thinking of the future...when I do reopen, I’ll probably have a sale. I feel like people are going to be more cautious about how they will spend their money. Especially, if we’re in a recession.”
Willow, Postal Clerk. Flat Rock Post Office
Through wind and rain and dark of night and world-wide pandemic, the Post Office gamely forges ahead. There have been no changes in hours at the Post Office, but the nature of the packages being shipped reflects the times.
When I inquired about any changes in how people are using the Post Office, Willow, who is manning the counter this day, says that the volume of traffic through their office has not changed appreciably, but the nature of the items being shipped has altered in some interesting ways. “People are sending care packages to their friends. Some are sending toilet paper to places that don’t have any, and others are sending activities to kids that are out of school.”
Amy, Flat Rock Bakery
As with Honey & Salt, the Bakery was eerily quiet when I walked in. Amy was behind the counter and greeted me with a big smile that belied the somber feeling of an empty bakery. Despite the slow down, she is optimistic. “The change in business is significant for where we should be this time of the year under normal circumstances,” she says, “but I think that given the circumstances that we're in now, I think we're doing well.” She explains that even in difficult times, people want and enjoy good baked goods. That fact has not changed.
When asked if she has any qualms about her personal safety, she shakes her head. “We have taken every measure that the health department requires. We have gone above and beyond. We keep bleach water and we're constantly wiping down door handles, our computer screens, and anything that we may come in contact with. We want to be able to stay here, to provide for our customers, to keep ourselves safe, and to have a job.”
The Bakery has slightly modified its hours to 8-5 but is currently still open seven days a week.
Suzanne Camarata, Owner, The Gallery at Flat Rock
Like Karen, Suzanne made the decision to close the Gallery until the worst of the pandemic subsides. In her case, the forced closure is a time to clean the gallery and get ready for a grand re-opening when circumstances allow. In the meantime, she still finds much for which to be grateful.
“More than ever, I am so thankful for where we live and access to nature. Spring is popping up all around us. Through all the chaos in the world, there is joy in the consistency of the seasons.
During this time of hunkering down, we are working on cleaning the gallery and getting ready for a re-opening. We’d like to open with a bang! This year is Brown Dog’s 10th Bday and the gallery’s 5th anniversary and we had planned a party for the community on April 18. We have postponed our celebration to when we are able to reopen. It’s going to be even more of a celebration! We’d love to see everyone when we re-open. We miss all the social interactions!
We closed on a high note with such a great response to our first exhibit, “52 Weeks | 52 Trees.” Dale McEntire (exhibiting artist) was able to hold his artist talk which was fabulous. He left us with this to reflect on:
“Art has the wisdom of insight,
the compassion of relationship
and the vision of our best values.”
Suzanne concluded her thoughts with encouragement for all of us to support the businesses that are struggling to find ways to keep their doors open. “Please continue to support our businesses. They need our help.”
Jack Grup, Owner, Highland Lake Inn & Resort
The coronavirus is having a serious effect on Jack and Linda Grup’s business, but they continue to offer an abbreviated list of services to local patrons and the guests still utilizing their lodging facilities. From Jack:
“Our restaurant has been identified as an “essential business” in the Stay at Home orders, allowing us to continue service in a take-out fashion. We have now created new businesses, with strong social distancing and sanitation protocols in place, in the hopes of generating some cash. Season’s Take Out, Season’s Market, and Season’s Discounted Gift Card are now available to the public from Wed-Sunday from 12 to 6 pm.
We are tired, discouraged and even a bit frustrated that our business, our community, and our employees have to go through this. But we are encouraged by the stamina, the creativity, the kindness and the strength of our community and our employees as well, and we know we will find a way to the other side of this and restart our business with new ideas and renewed energy.”
Learn more about Seasons’ offerings here https://hliresort.com/seasons/ or by calling 828-696-9094 to order.
---------
Flat Rock is fortunate to have so many talented business owners providing excellent options for entertainment, dining, and shopping. Please be sure to support them whenever possible during this difficult period. And we all look forward to celebrating with them when our world returns to normal.
Until then, stay safe and support our merchants.
Stay safe.
