CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Nick Stroud hopes to soon reboot his arcade after pulling the plug in March. He not only co-owns Baxter Arcade, but also Local 506 and Belltree in Carrboro.

"We chose to close on the 15th of March which was only two days before the mandated closing," he says.

The pandemic forced him to shut down and layoff 25 staffers, including managers and bartenders. Stroud, 34, launched a GoFundMe page to help out laid-off service industry workers in the Triangle. His goal was to raise $10,000 to hand out $100 stipends to those affected. He then helped those from around the state. Within weeks, the page reached four times its intended amount.

Now he wants to reach a new goal of $100,000, so he can hand out $500 stipends to those still affected.

"You have to have not to been hired back by your restaurant. You have to had been denied unemployment," he says.

Stroud hopes to reopen his businesses soon but with changes. He'll enforce social distancing, hand sanitizing and mask wearing for employees only. He hopes to rehire his workers.

"Nobody wants to close their business for an unknown period of time because of something that wasn't their choice," he adds.