A reason to smile: Some Las Vegas-area businesses reopen
George Lovitt doesn’t want anyone spreading the coronavirus, and he even turned away customers who refused to wear a mask into his store on Saturday, the first day it was allowed to be open in weeks.
“Nobody likes it, but it’s a necessary evil,” said Lovitt, the owner of the Antique Alley Mall in downtown Las Vegas’ Arts District.
Lovitt’s store, where he rents space to other antique dealers, was one of numerous small business that reopened Saturday after Gov. Steve Sisolak announced that restaurants, barbershops, hair salons and most retail businesses could go back to work. Employees are required to wear face masks in order to reopen, along with other restrictions, but not every business owner required customers to do the same.
Jeff Anthony, who reopened his Vintage Vegas Antiques store with his wife and mother on Saturday morning, said while employees are wearing masks inside, he’s not making customers cover their faces.
Anthony said he wasn’t worried about catching the virus, and that customers on Saturday morning told him, “Thank you for being brave enough to be open.”
Many retail stores throughout the valley still had their lights off Saturday morning. Both Ferguson’s Downtown and Container Park — two collections of stores near the Fremont Street Experience — had gates blocking off foot traffic.
Smaller businesses
Chain stores appeared more likely to be closed throughout the valley, while smaller business owners said they had no choice but to reopen.
Aaron Sidranski, the owner of Silver Post in Downtown Summerlin, said a few people were waiting for him to unlock the business at 10 a.m. Saturday. The store, which sells jewelry, crystals and minerals, nearly went out of business during the shutdown, he said.
“I was really nervous for how today would go, but God really blessed us,” he said. “I posted all over our social media pages about the reopening and got over 500 messages from people saying they can’t wait to see us this weekend.”
Nurses Athena Saunders and Tina Meeks walked to the farmers market in Downtown Summerlin on Saturday, something they used to do before it started operating as a drive-through.
They said it was frustrating watching some businesses reopen without proper safety measures.
But for the most part, Saunders and Meeks said, Downtown Summerlin stores have kept people safe.
“These big businesses will probably be OK, but some of these smaller businesses might not be able to make it with all the restrictions they’ll have to put in place to reopen,” Meek said. “I just want to help them out in any way I can.”
Stores are adjusting
Stores that did reopen had to change operations to prevent spread of the virus. A Pandora jewelry store in The District at Green Valley Ranch shopping center in Henderson opened on Saturday, but only at half-capacity, said regional sales manager Anitra Ralph.
“We just really want to make sure the customers feel really comfortable,” as well as employees, Ralph said.
At the Bassett Furniture store in Downtown Summerlin, manager April Nelson said she has masks for all employees and hand sanitizing stations throughout the store. As each customer left, employees sanitized pens and surfaces.
Nelson said she had to cut her staff in half because of the closures.
“It’s been hard and it’s scary,” Nelson said. “But the clients have still been calling and making orders even from a distance, so we’re hopeful that business will pick back up and we’ll be able to rehire the staff we had to cut.”
Vanesa Acevedo, the manager of a Rainbow clothing store in North Las Vegas, said business was steady on Saturday. She said only 10 customers were allowed inside at a time, and signs taped to the front door told everyone to wear a mask.
Angel Parker was shopping in the clothing store for a Mother’s Day outfit, she said. As a home health care worker, Parker said she already has to leave her house, but noted she wasn’t used to seeing so many people in public.
“When I see lines I’m like, no, I’m not going there,” she said.
Salons and barber shops
Numerous nail and hair salons were also open throughout the valley Saturday.
Near the Rainbow store, barbershop owner Toby Chavez said he was only allowing his customers inside his store.
In Henderson, Nail Envy on West Sunset Road reopened by appointment only, and the salon wasn’t busy, according to a manager who answered the phone. Best Beauty Nail and Salon in Boca Park reopened with a long list of guidelines for customers, but employees declined to speak with a reporter.
In the Arts District, the Atomic Style Lounge hair salon had its lights off, not appearing ready to accept customers again.
Across the street from the salon, Modern Mantiques owner Claudia Young said reopening on Saturday came down to survival — she and her husband have two children to feed and bills to pay.
Young, who’s helped run the store for seven years, said if she was able to survive the 2008 financial crisis, she can pull through the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re going to get through this, for sure,” she said.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writers Alexis Egeland and Julie Wootton-Greener contributed to this report.
