As many businesses work to reopen after being shut down during the Coronavirus Pandemic, some locals are calling it quits.
On Wednesday, Paper Moon Art Studio announced that they would be closing their doors in Clintonville permanently. The primary reason for their closure was that the shutdown impacted their entire business model and they could not continue to operate without generating income.
“I do not qualify for any of the small business loans or grants that are out there,” stated owner Kristen Marra Marek in a note published to Paper Moon’s website. “And more importantly, there is no way for me to safely hold classes while keeping a safe social distance in our small studio. The spirit of Paper Moon, where kids play and are independent and freely moving about could not feasibly or safely happen while keeping a social distance.”
On Friday, the owners of Firefly Play Cafe, also located in Clintonville, announced that they would not be able to reopen after nearly 10 years in business. They also cited an inability to operate while social distancing as the main cause for closure.
“We are a simple business, with an income to debt ratio this closure can not overcome,” stated owner Jennifer Kramer on the Firefly Facebook page. “We will be liquidating our inventory and hoping to raise enough to give my landlord (who has been so patient) a portion of rent owed, pay our taxes and possibly chip away at the debt I will take with me after it’s all over.”