Oswego Businesses Respond To Closures Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

By: Shea O’Malley

OSWEGO – Early spring winds stir wistfully along eerily quiet streets, tapping storefronts blanketed by silence. Sidewalks beg for a shadow of its former self; shoppers and students, businesspeople and residents alike, stay home, waiting out the viral storm. 

Oswego, a city once bustling with people, has quickly gone to sleep. The coronavirus (COVID-19), a virus that started in China, is now a world-wide pandemic with new cases of the virus confirmed daily in every state across the U.S.

Because of the virus’s quick circulation and deadly potential, New York state has shut down all schools and non-essential businesses, giving bars and restaurants limited services including takeout and delivery only. 

Local businesses are feeling the pain from these necessary actions, including David Haight, general manager of Vona’s Restaurant and Banquet Facility.

“We’ve been able to keep the kitchen busy [but] the entire wait staff has been laid-off for the time being,” said Haight. “The business itself is obviously taking a hit without dine-in restaurant capabilities.”

Despite the situation, Haight is choosing to stay positive, focusing his energies on serving both the community and his employees in various ways. 

“People[with] takeout or deliveries are being very generous with tips, knowing that the restaurant is taking a hit,” said Haight. “So, we’re taking that money and putting it together, and we’re going to use that money to help our employees that are currently laid off.”

Old City Hall Bar and Restaurant owner Larry Klotzker is having more difficulty with the mandatory shutdowns.

“My business is over,” said Klotzker. “We only did a small to-go [orders] and aren’t a fast food pizza shop. We’re sending perishables to [the] needy. We turned off as much heat and as many coolers as we can, and tomorrow we will turn off [the]nonessential electrical.”

Klotzker said he realizes the city is taking the correct steps in keeping people safe but realizes his business, and possibly his employees, might not survive this financial crisis.  

“Our workers live week to week,” said Klotzker. “The uncertain future is beyond alarming for them. Some have kids, mortgages, car payments [and] child support and this is taking food off their tables.”

The River’s End Bookstore, a small, locally owned business in the Oswego community, is working hard to accommodate customers despite the latest New York state mandate prohibiting operation of all non-essential businesses. 

“We’re going to see what we can do,” said Emil Christmann, manager at River’s End Book Store. “We’ll try to focus on the web orders. They can still do audio books and e-books through our site, of course.” 

Christmann is optimistic, saying they will continue online operations as long as their distributors remain open. 

“We should be able to get [books] to them,” Christmann said. “Whether we’ve got it coming from our wholesale distribution center or whether we have it on the shelves here, then we can somehow get it out.”

Despite Oswego’s health crisis, business owners are working to keep spirits lifted with positive attitudes and humor.

“Mental health is certainly a huge part of being human as well,” Christmann said. “And if you’re going to be sitting inside for weeks to come, you know, you’ve got to entertain yourself somehow. One way to do that is through books.”

Klotzker has a different approach to the situation.

 “At least an asteroid isn’t crashing into our planet, so we are lucky in many ways,” Klotzker said.

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