DELAND, Fla. – The City of DeLand in partnership with MainStreet DeLand Association is implementing a temporary curbside service program to help retail and restaurants downtown maintain business while conforming to social distancing guidelines and minimizing exposure to the coronavirus.
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Signs were placed in front of parking spots along Woodland Boulevard between Church Street and Howry Avenue, parts of Rich Avenue and Indiana Avenue. The spaces have been converted to five-minute pickup spots for curbside service.
Arles Lopez is the Owner of Champs Shoe Repair on Woodland Boulevard, which has been a part of DeLand for nearly 50 years. He says there has been a tremendous drop in sales in the past week.
"The problem is right now, nobody is going to bring in their shoes because there's something else to worry about: food, staying with family, staying home. To be honest with you, I don't think we're going to make it. We'll just have to wait and see," said Lopez.
The building owner lowered the month’s rent to a dollar for all of the tenants to try to help out, but several businesses surrounding Champs closed for the rest of the month due to new policies and a lack of customers.
“If I had to shut down I don’t know what I’d do because, at my age, I don’t know where to start. I’ve been doing this all my life, I am a shoemaker,” said Lopez.
The city hopes the new curbside service will help keep local shops afloat. Other businesses are following suit, offering delivery and pick-up options.
Down the road from Champs sits Doug and Lili's Potato Patch restaurant that is also struggling to stay open. Owner Doug Rand said sales have dropped 50% in the last week, so he's encouraging people to order to-go.
"Whatever it takes to stay alive at this point. A week or two, manageable... after that, things will get dicey," said Rand. "Cash flow affects everyone... when payrolls are due, rents are due, mortgages are due, it gets tight."
Rand says at this point, they’re just trying to break even and hopes the virus will pass so things can get back to normal. The city of DeLand is working on a master list of businesses still operating in the area to encourage support from the community.
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