Wasn’t sure where to put this, so here it is…
Without naming any names, I’m wondering if anyone else is experiencing the issues with small businesses (some food-related, some not) that I have lately. I’ll start by saying I’m VERY fond of shopping local and feel more strongly about it since the start of the pandemic. My thinking is that if I want my community to thrive, survive, and remain a year-round spot (I live at the Jersey Shore in one of the few towns that isn’t deserted in the off-season), that we all need to do our part. For those who don’t know me, I have/have had friends in the restaurant business for decades, so I do know that running a small business is NOT easy. BUUUUT.
I’ve now had at least 3 experiences where I’ve gone out of my way to patronize a business only to find that they’re open but not offering that thing they posted about on social media, or their staff isn’t masked up (so I’ve left), or I’ve made a second trip back only to find that they’re not actually ready to sell ___, or in today’s case, walked in to a place where there was NOT. ONE. STAFF. MEMBER. to be seen. After waiting (inside, where I didn’t want to be for long), I left.
Sometimes there’s a specific item I want to buy vs. ordering online from a big retailer, sometimes I want to get a gift card, and sometimes I just want takeout, but it shouldn’t matter. If this had been a one-off at one place, I’d shrug it off, but it’s (obviously) bugging me. Why are some small businesses making it so hard for (potentially) paying customers? Makes it hard to recommend that others go there…and then I’m not spending locally. SIGH.