Bayfield Small Businesses Deal With Coronavirus Impact
As Bayfield's busy season gets closer, the town is already seeing a big hit from the coroanvirus pandemic.
BAYFIELD, Wis. – “It’s certainly been really slow and quiet downtown, kind of eerie, there’s no cars on the street, just much more quiet than usual,” co-owner of Howl Adventure Center Mary Thiel said.
Bayfield’s busy season is getting closer, and the town is already seeing a big hit from the coronavirus pandemic.
“So much of our economy is based on tourism these days and it’s a real serious matter. We don’t know what the future holds,”co-owner of Island Eats and Catering Beth Paap said.
Howl Adventure Center has been able to stay open under the Safer at Home mandate, selling and helping repair bikes.
“Our bike sales have been pretty solid this past month, actually. A lot of people have been coming in whether it’s bike service work to get out riding their own bike, or if they’re in the market for something new or different,” Thiel said.
The story has been busy getting customers what they need to enjoy the outdoors.
“It’s something that people can do as a family if they’ve got kids at home or their partner. It’s something that you can do together, even getting out and riding with a friend, you’re able to maintain that social distance. And it just feels good. Riding a bike, it just brings that joy like when you were a kid,” Thiel added.
Across the parking lot, Island Eats and Catering food truck just re-opened last week.
“People came from around the bay, it was cold last night and they didn’t complain and showed up in force. We were really blown away by that,” Paap said.
While tourism isn’t booming right now, local residents are still doing what they can to support the economy.
“It’s going to be probably a very different summer here in the Bayfield island red cliff community without a lot of tourism possibly so it’s just important that we support our local businesses so they can survive and hopefully thrive through it,” Bayfield resident Tammy Weber said.
As Bayfield waits to fully re-open and fill with people again.
“I know a lot of people are really anxious to start coming up again whether they’re second home-owners or people that just love the area and looking forward to better days ahead when we can welcome them back,” Thiel said.
The community knows the main way to get through this is to support one another.
“In a time like this during a pandemic where we’re told not to be doing much of anything, all your local businesses are having a hard time, some more than others in different ways, and we’re fortunate enough to be open to a certain extent right now. If now isn’t a good time to support your local business I don’t know when it would be,” Howl Adventure Center manager Philip Smith said.
