Bikes, drive-thru coffee, video games: These 3 Anchorage shops are seeing more business since the pandemic hit

There’s no hiding that the past few months have been filled with uncertainty, challenges and stress over functioning in a new coronavirus reality, and a lot of Anchorage businesses are struggling.

But there are exceptions.

Three businesses — a video game store, a bike shop and a coffee stand — have seen an unexpected surge in patronage due to lifestyle changes brought about by COVID-19.

Ian’s Game Paradise

Ian Clark, owner of Ian’s Game Paradise, which sells video games and accessories, has nearly tripled his monthly income this summer — typically the slowest time of year for him.

“Most of the time during the summer, at least in Alaska, most people have lives,” he said.

[Will the show go on? For professional musicians working in the midst of pandemic, the stakes have never been higher.]

This year, he said, “a lot of people are kind of stuck, they’re bored.”

After a challenging holiday season and then Anchorage’s “hunker-down” order in March, Clark wasn’t sure what lay ahead for his store. After he reopened in April, business remained slow for the first two weeks. But then it picked up steadily.

Customers visiting the store on July 30 headed straight for the handheld gaming consoles, walking with them in hand while they checked out the rest of the store. Rows of video games lined the walls. Clark interacted with each customer, getting to know the best fit for their wants.

“I’ve been doing the very best I can,” he said. “I’m a dude who likes to play video games who lives in a cabin.”

[Editor’s note: Ian Clark on Thursday said Ian’s Game Paradise will be relocating after Northway Mall’s management this week confirmed the mall is shutting down its common area.]

The Bicycle Shop

As concerns rose about the risk of the virus spreading indoors, public health officials encouraged outdoor activities as a healthy alternative, provided that people maintained proper distancing. Cycling, in particular, has seen a spike in popularity nationwide, said Nicholas Carman, manager at The Bicycle Shop on Northern Lights Boulevard.

“Sales around the country of bicycles nearly doubled for a period of about two or three months, and that quickly depleted inventory and most warehouses and supply chains,” he said.

On a recent day at the Spenard store, a customer tested out a bicycle in the parking lot, riding in circles as employees answered questions, repaired bikes and grabbed parts.

Carman said The Bicycle Shop has been around for decades, “and we’ve never had to turn away repairs, and we’ve had to decline repairs in some cases. We’ve never seen this much demand for service.”

At one point, the shop sold 30 entry-level bicycles in a day and a half, he said.

“After the ‘hunker-down’ order happened here in Anchorage, we experienced a decline in sales and the season was a little slow because of the weather,” Carman said. “But after about three weeks of being concerned about having to close shops or lay people off, our bike sales and service demands went basically through the roof as people discovered that when they were gonna have to stay home most of the time they wanted safe and healthy ways to get out.”

Boom! Coffee

At Anchorage’s bright blue Boom! Coffee stand, another line for customers was added Thursdays through Sundays beginning in April to handle an influx of business that’s poured in since the pandemic started. The coffee stand, at West International Airport Road and Tudor Road, has been averaging 600 orders per day.

“Our business has increased since the whole COVID thing by 50%,” said owner Lauren Hines, who took over running the stand in March 2017. “It just skyrocketed.”

Hines even had to increase her staffing, hiring five new employees — two of whom were laid off from previous jobs due to the pandemic.

“(I) wanted to help anyone out that I could,” she said. “We’re trying to find more food that we can sell through small businesses.”

In addition to offering a plethora of drink choices, including items from local vendors Zip Kombucha and Indigo Tea Lounge, Boom! Coffee also sells Gumbo House burritos.

“I believe that we are one of the safer places to go to have that experience,” she said, adding that people are seeking out things to do to safely distance while getting a break from their homes.

On a late August night, more than 14 cars waited outside as the lines wrapped around the parking lot. A rainbow stretched overhead in the distance.

“Everyone’s going through this,” Hines said. “It’s just a day-by-day thing. You never know what is going to happen. Everyone tackling it together is what makes it way more comfortable.”

Hines is looking to expand, potentially creating a stand at another location, as soon as possible.

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