“It’s been a journey.” Local barbershop glad to reopen following closure due to COVID
On Monday, more businesses across South Carolina opened their doors after being closed for months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — On Monday, more businesses across South Carolina opened their doors after being closed for months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In the latest step to reopening South Carolina, close contact businesses like barbershops and salons can once again see their clients.
“It’s been a journey. It’s been a process. We’re happy to have the doors back open. Our customers missed us and we missed them,” said Damon Young, a barber and owner of Damon’s Barber Shop. “Everybody wants a haircut, a lot of people haven’t had a haircut in two months.”
For a small business owner, like Young, it was hard to keep doors shut for so long.
“It was difficult. It was very, very difficult. We’re kind of looked as the bottom of the barrel of businesses, so we don’t get some of the perks that some of these bigger businesses get. And I think that’s one of the hardest parts. If you don’t know how to save the money or put your money up, you’re going to be in trouble,” said Young.
On the first day of being open, people came to get their quarantine hair cut.
“I was excited. Finally. I get to open my doors, bring some income back into my household. Money makes the world go around,” said Young. “Being able to see your customers again, check on them and see how they were doing, and then being able to make some money makes it a lot better.”
There are certain guidelines the businesses must follow, like maintaining a certain capacity.
“We probably got about 10 to 15 people outside sitting in their cars. And we’re just bringing them in one by one and doing it like that. We’re not going to have a lot of people in the barbershop,” said Young.
Making sure to take the necessary precautions to keep staff and customers safe.
“You got to. There’s just no way around it. You want everybody to be safe,” said Young.
