What can you do to help local businesses?

What can you do to help local businesses?

Unknown cases".

"recent changes" due to covid-19 have taken a toll on small businesses.

"many restaurants"..

Are offering "new services" to stay open... and "owners" are having tough conversations with staff.

News 10's "heather good"..

Continues "our team coverage".

////// heathe} dining rooms across the country look like this right now.

They're empty... and... restaurant owners have been forced to find new ways to serve their customers.

They've also been forced into the difficult decision of laying off employees.

Pk} claudine hann discribes herself as a hustler.

She's keeping energy high and her optimism higher as she scrambles to find ways to keep her business -- fifi's lunchbox -- open during the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite her best efforts the staff here has dwindled from twenty to three.

Fifi's lunchbox co-owner claudine hann says, "as soon as i found out unemployment was available and it goes on a layoff i suggested to all my staff that i'm not able to use to immediately file for unemployment as a layoff for now."

Another terre haute business -- j.

Ford's black angus -- is suffering the same loss.

Owners jeff and kelly ford had to layoff 90-percent of their staff.

J.

Ford's black angus owner kelly ford says, "we will survive.

We'll all survive but it's not going to be easy and we will need help."

Both restaurants are shifting resources from the dining room to carry-out and delivery.

Jeff ford says, "we're still going to provide great food, a great service, a great product.

It's just, it's in a to-go box now so hopefully all the local restaurants feel the love of the community when people need to eat."

It's still unclear what lies ahead for these local businesses but the fear is the situation will get worse before it gets better.

Kelly ford says, "so if you're asking yourself what can i do to help, go to your favorite local restaurant, buy a giftcard, get a to-go order, that's one thing you can do."

Claudine hann says, "you have to do what's best for your family but if you are not affected by it and you do have some extra cash, i'm just saying, dig in your cushions and help us out."

Heathe} the terre haute chamber of commerce has a list of local restaurants offerign curbside pickup, takeout and delivery options.

We're going to link you to that on our website.

That's wthitv.com.

In terre haute, heather good, news 10.

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