This letter is in response to Cecilia Preziose’s letter on April 22 regarding restaurants and businesses that are closing “after a few weeks of struggling.” I seriously doubt that these businesses are closing so they can retire at 40ish.
If you want to have some real fun, you should try owning your own restaurant and/or small business. In my opinion and my personal experience, this is the shortest possible way to lose the largest amount of money in the shortest possible time. Restaurants and stores — and everyone else — were basically given no notice that they would be closed until further notice. These restaurants had to dispose of most of their food inventory to prevent spoilage.
Most restaurants and small businesses run on very small margins. To do this line of work means long hours, not much pay (only personal reward), large overhead, payroll and rent, etc. A restaurant or small business has expenses that go on whether they can open or not. And this is frequently done with no vacation pay, health benefits, retirement, etc. I hope that anyone who was forced to close in this time has managed to pick off a good job that pays well and provides benefits.
As for Ms. Preziose’s statement about older owners who retire, yes, perhaps they do. They frequently sell a business and finance it themselves only to have it fail or have it handed back to them. Small business is not for the weak of heart or wallet.
It is my hope that most of our struggling businesses will be able to hold on and return. We need to frequent them and show our support. I have done that through this difficult time by ordering food to go and shopping online if available. Hope everyone else will support small business when we get going again.
— Vicki Williams
Anchorage
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