LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Many businesses across WAVE Country are slowly reopening following the winter weather that hit Kentuckiana this week.
One of those businesses is Ultra Pop!, a collectibles store, on Barret Avenue. For the first time in almost a week, the Open sign on the store window was lit on Sunday.
“I hadn’t left the house since Sunday of last week,” owner Paul LePree said. “My particular neighborhood, I just simply wasn’t able to get to work.“
LePree explained he was able to get his truck out of the snow and ice with the help of his neighbors. He told WAVE News he needed to get back to work sooner rather than later.
“The bills don’t stop coming,” he added. “LG&E doesn’t stop charging you for electricity, you know. You’re still paying bills as if you were open, you just don’t have that money coming in.”
And as LePree waited for customers to show up, down the street Justin Scurlock tried to get people’s attention by coloring the snow in front of his Derby City Market, a store that specializes in mid-century furniture, art, vintage clothes and vinyl records.
“Today I went and got an actual garden sprayer and that’ll help,” he pointed out. “We do different color blues, browns, reds, greens, just mix it all up.”
Scurlock is also feeling the strain of the winter storms on his store.
“We closed early one day and the traffic has been down,” he mentioned. “If you’re open, you’re paying for work, you’re paying for electricity, you have rent, you have overhead. It’s tough, you know?“
And with more below-freezing temperatures and chances of snow on the way, these small business owners said they worry about potentially having to close their doors again, which is why they’re asking people to shop local while Mother Nature allows them to stay open.
“When the businesses are no longer there is when everyone cries and sighs about how they wish they would’ve supported it and it’s like do it now,” LePree commented. “Because if you want to live in a city that has culture and has cool stuff then you have to support those things there.”
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