While COVID-19 numbers remain prevalent all over the state, as well as here in Henry County, area businesses are continuing to do what they can to keep the community safe as well as to remain in business.

  The Times spoke with various small business in Henry County to see how they have been weathering the storm of COVID-19 these past few months. 

  Many Henry County business have reopened recently, either in a fully operational capacity or in a take-out or curbside-pickup only fashion. 

  Rutabaga’s Market & Cafe in Hampton, who amended their operating hours at the beginning of the pandemic, just recently reopened fully to the public. 

  Owner Tracy North estimates a 40 percent decrease in earnings from their numbers in 2019, however, she indicated that it has been “hard to tell” due to repeated spikes and lulls in patronage from week to week.

  Rutabaga’s Market & Cafe has not closed their location down since the onset of COVID-19, instead opting to cut their business hours and offer curbside pick-up in an effort to remain at least partially open. 

  “We never closed. We can’t afford to close. We’re a small business. If we closed, we might as well have gone home and said ‘forget it,’” said North. “With everything we’ve invested in our store, that’s just not an option.” 

  They have just recently extended their business hours and are now offering new services to the public. 

  “A lot of small businesses have gone out of business this year because of this,” said North. “We had to get creative and figure out how to stay in business.”

  North said that they have just received their beer and wine license and are looking to provide live music events in September and October in an effort to bring more business to their location. 

  Joan Wheat, owner of Secret Garden in McDonough, shared that she has been trying to “stay afloat” these past few months. 

  Her business closed in March due to safety concerns in regard to COVID-19 and just reopened in July.

  She stated that she has seen a decrease in income due to lack of patronage, which has impacted the products she has been able to offer shoppers in her store.  

  “Because we did not have that income for several months, that did not generate any money to purchase new merchandise. I’ve had merchandise sitting there for several months,” said Wheat. “I don’t know what to purchase.”

  She is also worried about the upcoming fall and winter, fearing that a COVID-19 spike could negatively impact the foot traffic coming into her store. 

  “The shop owners I have spoke with are leery of what the fall and winter is going to be like,” said Wheat. “I hope that we will be able to open for a few more hours in the fall and that traffic will increase. I hope that things get better. It’s just hard to say at this time.”

  Shorty’s BBQ and More in Locust Grove, a take-out only location, opened in March of this year and managed to use the mandated COVID-19 closures to their advantage. 

  “It allowed us to kind of work out the kinks without being bombarded by a lot of customers, because people were slow in coming out,” said owner Sharon Dewberry.

  Shortly after their grand opening in March, they closed to the public, using the time to identify what measures needed to be put in place to reopen to the public once reopening was a viable option.

  “It was good that we had time to regroup and review the policies and procedures we had in place and those we needed to change up. We developed online meals and the way to do online and curbside service,” said Dewberry. “Then, our main problem was supply, being able to get your meats and your regular supply to do takeout and getting supplies to do the mandated cleaning and everything. We had to alter our hours and limit our meals until late May, early June.”

  Since opening back up fully to the public in June, Dewberry reported that business has been “pretty good.”

  Kathy Rittenhouse, owner of Kathy’s Florist & Gift Shoppe in Stockbridge, expressed that she has not seen much of an impact of COVID-19 on her business these past few months. 

  “I’ve had plenty of business,” said Rittenhouse. “I’ve just been working real hard.”

  She stated that she has not seen a halt in business at all since COVID-19 began.

  Rittenhouse actually told the Times that she has seen business “pick up” at her location.