There’s no doubt about it, times are tough for small businesses in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. With all restaurants and bars closed to dine-in services, many locally owned businesses are getting creative with their hours and offerings to try to stay open. From limited hours to take-out only to creating new products Arvada businesses are doing all they can to bring in business while helping local residents.
Several Arvada businesses have completely changed the way they operate practically overnight. The Bluegrass Lounge in Olde Town opened up a grab-and-go convenience store for local residents to quickly get necessities without having to go to a jam-packed grocery store. Talnua Distillery partnered with Spirits Wine Provisions to create and package hand sanitizer made from Talnua’s own alcohol.
Courtesy of Visit Arvada on Facebook
Arvada Chamber of Commerce President Kami Welch dubbed this effort “creative commerce” and stated “we’re being exceptionally nimble. So much has changed so quickly and we want to make sure our businesses have the resources to get through it.”
The chamber developed a business toolkit where any business can access resources for financial support, employment law and other resources whether or not they are an Arvada business or a chamber member. It will also offer free webinars to help small retailers, restaurants and other businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial loss that comes with it. For restaurants, the chamber has also created a list of all businesses offering delivery and takeout in Arvada called the Takeout Takeover that is updated hourly.
Welch hopes that this will help businesses come up with a plan for the future and diversify their offerings in case something like this happens again. “People will be thinking differently about how they operate their business after this,” stated Welch, “there’s a bright spot for all of us once this is over.”