‘Success Absolutely Means Survival At This Point’: Local Shops Inch Toward Recovery On Small Business Saturday

CHICAGO (CBS) — On the heels of Black Friday comes Small Business Saturday, a day when shoppers are asked to shop local and support local. Small businesses were some of the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic — resulting in the closure of roughly 200,000 of them nationwide during the first year of the pandemic alone.

This year the Ravenswood industrial corridor brought back a beloved tradition to bring back people.

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There are more than 100 local shops in Ravenswood that are just starting to welcome back their in-person experiences over the last few months. Many of them are now saying last year was make or break, but now that they’ve made it, they still need help.

After a pandemic pause, the Ravenswood Holly Jolly Trolley was back for the first time since 2019 for Small Business Saturday. The free trolley made stops during peak shopping hours on Damen, Montrose, Wilson, Irving Park, and Ravenswood Avenues.

“We’ve been gearing up for this for most of the year,” said Gene Wagendorf, associate director of the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce.

For the last year and a half, small shops had to change their way of business and the way they define success.

“Success absolutely means survival at this point,” Wagendorf said. “If I’ve run a tavern, how do I turn into a bottled cocktail operation to get through the pandemic, or if I’ve never had an online shop, how do I suddenly teach myself with less access to staff?”

“We also thought, ‘How can we help?’ So we switched to hand sanitizer production,” said Robert Birnecker Koval Distillery co-owner, which specializes in bourbon and gin.

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Birnecker said the pandemic protocols that started March of 2019 completely slashed sales. He said in the beginning they were worried they would not make it.

“We had to completely shut down our operation,” he said.

Koval made the pivot to hand sanitizer using a recipe signed off by the World Health Organization and materials taht were otherwise sitting around unused. Not only did they donate 5,000 gallons, which went in part to first responders, medical staff, retirement homes and homeless shelters, but tapping into their alcohol supply to make sanitizer also made ends meet.

“Yes we’re still here. For small business that is the most important part, but I think our success has always been defined by helping the community,” Birnecker said.

As the city drives toward slow economic recovery, more than 100 local shops in Ravenswood and beyond (including Bronzeville, Lincoln Square and Albany Park) are hoping Chicagoans keep bringing business to the little guys.

“Aside from shopping small feeling good, it really does help contribute to the character of our neighborhoods,” said Wagendorf.

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Small Business Saturday might be wrapping up, but don’t forget Cyber Monday is around the corner.

Source: CBS Chicago