GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Wealthy street in Grand Rapids is home to tons of small independent businesses, some of whom say they're struggling after a winter storm hit West Michigan this past weekend.
“We live in a tundra," Steven Martinez, owner of Basalt, said.
Business is slow at the Eastown Tex-Mex restaurant Basalt, but that's normal for a Tuesday.
The weekends are when Basalt makes up for lost time. But that wasn't the case this past weekend.
“We had this really big and long-lasting winter storm. And the brunt of it happened Friday night through Monday morning,” Martinez said.
For owner Steven Martinez, that means taking a loss — and a big one at that. While Martinez says he understands and respects people staying home in bad weather, it still impacts his bottom line greatly. He'd appreciate it if local small businesses were kept top of mind in the coming weeks.
“We did about 40% of what we would expect on a Saturday/Sunday,” Martinez said.
That means 60% of Basalt's sales for the weekend are missing. Saturdays and Sundays make up the bulk of their overall income.
“For us, a Saturday/Sunday is about 65% of our total weekly business,” Martinez said.
It's why Basalt's owner is asking for everyone to remember to shop small.
“Whenever you’re thinking about eating out or shopping, replace that chain restaurant, that mall, that national place with that local neighborhood spot,” Martinez said.
Martinez says the support means everything during the cold days ahead.
“When you spend that money locally, you’re supporting your community,” Martinez said.
Basalt has been open for three years on Wealthy Street serving breakfast, tacos and more. The owner, Steve, is originally from Texas.
