Coronavirus In Minnesota: Downtown Minneapolis Businesses Alarmed By 'Ghost Town' Feel
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Downtown Minneapolis on a Friday night is usually a hot spot in the city -- but that is not the case on a Friday night in the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) scare.
Venues like the Orpheum Theatre, First Avenue and Fine Line are cancelling shows and performances.
This void is being felt most by the people who make the experience of going out in downtown enjoyable. Nester Villafuerte, head chef at Seven Sushi, says he has had to let staff go early and cut hours in order to handle the slowdown in business.
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"It's definitely having a major impact on the things we do here at Seven," Villafuerte said. "Especially here downtown, I know restaurants, they are taking drastic measures."
Seven Sushi is following protocol on cleaning and disinfecting set forth by the Minnesota Department of Health. They are even going above what is required to make sure customers have a safe experience.
Other downtown restaurants are also reporting a more-than-70% drop in reservations. The slowdown also impacts most who live paycheck to paycheck, like valet Micah Smith.
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"Usually I stand out on the curb and see a lot of people walking by, and it has not been the same. And I understand there is fear and it can impact stuff, but it's definitely been a lot slower," Smith said. "Right now, we only have one car tonight, and usually we have ten by now."
Smith and Villafuerte do not have the luxury of working from home, so they understand the fear associated with contracting COVID-19, but they hope people understand panic hurts the little guys trying to make a living.
"If you are in good health and condition and you want to go out and have a good time and have a nice dinner with your family or even friends, just come out and it's always going to be safe," Villafuerte said.
Restaurants in downtown support businesses like the Minnesota Timberwolves, and provide food for performers at several venues. When they shut down, so does their work.
Call ahead if you do plan on supporting downtown businesses, because many may change hours to deal with the slowdown.
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