GREENSBORO, N.C. – Some businesses in downtown Greensboro have made the tough decision to transition back to Phase 1 following the rapid rise in coronavirus cases across the state.

 

What You Need To Know


  • Some businesses in downtown Greensboro have made the tough decision to transition back to Phase 1

  • Nearby businesses Natty Greene's and Hops Burger Bar closed due to employees testing positive for COVID-19

  • Both businesses said they will continue to stay in Phase 1 till they feel it's safe for everyone

 

Shannon Jones has been the manager at Scuppernong Books for about five and a half years. It's a job she very much enjoys due to the fact she loves connecting with her customers, but these days it's pretty quiet around the bookstore. The business has decided to transition back to Phase 1 after a rapid rise in coronavirus cases across the state.

“It was the best way for us to keep ourselves and our customers as safe as possible to really go back and limit the numbers of people in the store to just a couple at a time and be able to go back and clean behind them in such a way that is just safer for everybody," Jones explains.

 

 

 

The bookstore is still taking orders online, letting customers browse by appointment only, and serving coffee and tea to go. Jones is anticipating it will be a while before they see all of their customers in the shop again.

“We want to get to get back to the point where we can have these author events and community events like we’ve always had," Jones adds.

They are not the only ones, Cheesecakes By Alex has also decided to go back to Phase 1 by only doing carryout, curbside pickup, and online ordering. This happened after Natty Greene's Downtown, right down the street, and Hops Burger Bar closed due to employees testing positive for COVID-19.

“My biggest concern was what’s the reaction going to be? How are people going to feel? And honestly, I’ve been pretty amazed, everyone has been nothing but supportive. We will live like this till we can change," says Alex Amoroso, owner of Cheesecakes by Alex.

It was a tough decision for any business owner, but one that that they say is crucial during these unprecedented times.

“I think there is a lot of businesses that want to do it, they just wanted to see how everyone responds to what happened with us and now that that decision is made and they see that everyone supports that I think you’ll see a lot more do that," Amoroso says.

Both businesses said they will continue to stay in Phase 1 until they feel it's safe for everyone.