Hoping for a fall boost: 'Comeback kits' help now, but Oberlin businesses eager for return of college customers

OBERLIN — During business hours, Krista Long keeps a calm composure. "Call me at 3 in the morning and see if I'm OK then," she said. As owner of Ben Franklin & Mindfair Books in Oberlin, she is one of many business owners trying to financially navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Long is doing her best to pivot to the new realities small businesses face — she's dealing with a fall-off in foot traffic, planning online events such as book readings and cautiously stocking merchandise. "I'm not budgeting for a good year," she said Wednesday. Summers can be slow in Oberlin, even in good years, and businesses in the small town rely on the return of college students for sales to pick up. Long said this fall will be different, and she's worried. She's not alone. Liz Burgess, owner of the Ginko Gallery, kept her fingers crossed as she talked about what the next few months could hold. "I'm hopeful. It's been a rough few months, but with (Oberlin College) opening again and the holidays coming up, I'm optimistic," she said. "I'm worried. I've been hanging in here, but I'm worried because it was hard being closed for two months and still having to cover expenses." The gallery is operating with shortened hours and Burgess said she hasn't been able to bring all her employees back since nonessential businesses statewide were forced to shutter in March. Janet Haar, director of the Oberlin Business Partnership, tried to provide a little help this past week to downtown merchants. She delivered "comeback kits" up and down Main and College streets, filled with gloves, masks, sanitizer, paper towels and other helpful items. Haar listened along the way as business owners talked about the hardships they are staring down. She described the atmosphere in town as "tense, because there are some people who are going to tough it out, but there are other people who just don't know if they're going to be able to make it." At Ratsy's Store, owner Ratsy Kemp said customers have been hesitant to resume their old shopping habits. Slowly, by degrees, they are returning. The thrift store owner said she got through the worst months by selling homemade cloth masks — probably close to 1,000 of them, she estimated — to pay the bills. Now Kemp is turning a small profit. "It hasn't been the same, but then again nothing has," she said. Forrest Locklear, general manager at Aladdin's Eatery, said dine-in demand has been slow, but the good news is that takeout sales continue to increase. Inside the restaurant, he can use only five or six tables before hitting the state-mandated occupancy limit. Locklear said diners have hit that cap only a few days in the last several weeks. John Pittman Gorske owns the Sperry-Gorske Agency, which specializes in insurance and real estate. As a service business, it's weathering the slowdown well, he said — certainly better than nearby restaurants. Black River Cafe, Oberlin Kitchen, Quick and Delicious and Cowhaus Creamery all shut down for good, said Haar, while Dave's Cosmic Subs is closed for the summer and hoping to reopen in the fall. "The college is the engine that runs this town. The worse off they get, the worse off everyone gets," Gorske said. Jerry Anderson, owner of Watson's Hardware, agreed. He said Main Street has been "more or less deserted" by shoppers this summer, and he hopes the return of Oberlin College students will help boost sales. Watson's isn't in danger of closing, he said — "We're doing OK" — and Anderson has ordered a lot of merchandise in a wager on the college crowd. "I'm figuring that when the college kids come back, (sales) might be more than normal," he said. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.