Thread of local businesses that don't survive the coronavirus

[UTPhil2006 3,812]

27 minutes ago, lonestar3 said:

So, versus what's in place today, the main difference is going to be workers not going to "non-essential" jobs? Are you going to catch flack from the 5-0 if you're driving across town to see your family?

 

Part of the quote (because Austin) said exercising was an essential activity so I'm guessing you could just say that's where you're going.

Quote

Adler said drafts of the order are similar to Dallas County’s restrictions. While basically all social gatherings are banned, restaurants can continue to deliver or offer take out food. People are permitted to go outside to walk their pets or exercise, but must stay at least 6 feet apart from other individuals.

 

[jimmyjazz 46,130]

1 hour ago, WBT said:

I got a good deal on a vehicle on Dec 30, 2008.  The next few months is probably another good window to buy.

I bought a hybrid the last time gas prices tanked, and got a great deal (Toyota Avalon).  It was less expensive than the equivalent gas version.  Throw in an old-fashioned recession along with historically low gas prices, and I'm thinking hybrids are gonna just be begging for buyers.

[jeevsie 3,740]

Are hybrids going to be begging for buyers because it will be difficult to sell them?

(standard surl a-hole comment)

[Zombie 284]

5 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Has anyone gotten to go beers from any local establishments?  If so, are they doing draft beer or just bottles and cans?

Yep, from Roadmap Brewery in San Antonio. I think it was a crowler, 32 oz. They didn't have drafts to go. 

[Brothahorn 10,087]

So what exactly is an essential business? I’m in logistics and several of my customers who deal in raw steel have been excluded from shutdown. We mostly handle plywood and tubing, though.

[GhostOfTomJoad 9,351]

7 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Has anyone gotten to go beers from any local establishments?  If so, are they doing draft beer or just bottles and cans?

Last Wednesday I picked up sixers and a growler to go from Whitestone Brewery. Last night I ordered sixers & another growler because they're now offering delivery within 15 miles (it was a $6 delivery charge if you're within 8 miles, I'm guessing $8-10 for the next tier). They also offer crowlers.

 

Bad news: Mouton's off Lakeline in CP closed last night. They just couldn't do enough business curbside to make it work. They lasted less than a week 😞

Edited March 24, 2020 by GhostOfTomJoad

[Penelope 416]

On 3/19/2020 at 9:19 AM, Penelope said:

Since Abbott lifted restrictions on delivering alcohol to homes. I plan on re opening. AFTER I self isolate for 2-3 weeks and only if I don’t get sick. I’ll make payment strictly credit card over the phone and leave at front door. This may help me survive

Turns out I can’t do that. I’m a private club and my liquor license will not allow me to do any of this. All other mixed beverage license can do it but not me because I’m a private club.  So I am completely fucked. Not sure why I am not allowed, pretty sure it has do with fucked up TA BC shit

[DalTxHornFan 3,117]

47 minutes ago, Penelope said:

Turns out I can’t do that. I’m a private club and my liquor license will not allow me to do any of this. All other mixed beverage license can do it but not me because I’m a private club.  So I am completely fucked. Not sure why I am not allowed, pretty sure it has do with fucked up TA BC shit

Hang in there.  Maybe step up the "to go" food game until whiskey is back in season? I feel guilty as I was one of the original club founders based upon a Williamson County request for assistance back on TOS.  Good luck.

[mchookem 16,385]

detailed article with good info on takeout food and risk

https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/03/food-safety-and-coronavirus-a-comprehensive-guide.html#covid-on-food

tl,dr: historical patterns of both food born pathogens and respiratory illnesses points to very low risk: "The fact that every person eats multiple times a day and thus far no link has been found between eating and viral clusters is strong evidence that no such link exists."

i feel very reassured bc we've been ordering out a lot... one, bc i am trying to help our local neighborhood spots as much a as possible (sad to see El Dorado closed)...but also bc we started a major remodel a week before this blew up, and my kitchen functionality is severely limited 😐 

everybody has their own risk tolerance, of course.

i'll share this in the mega-thread as well 🙂

[Hornius Emeritus 12,488]

6 hours ago, Zombie said:

Yep, from Roadmap Brewery in San Antonio. I think it was a crowler, 32 oz. They didn't have drafts to go. 

 

Independence is doing both cans and growlers. Great beer, too. 

[zork 629]

10 hours ago, Brothahorn said:

So what exactly is an essential business? I’m in logistics and several of my customers who deal in raw steel have been excluded from shutdown. We mostly handle plywood and tubing, though.

Might depend on where you live, what county in some cases.  Dallas County's order on Sunday had a list of essential business types and then also a statement that the judgement of whether the business reason qualified should be broadly interpreted as yes.  Go to the county website where you live and see if you can find the order of whatever type of restrictions are in place along with the exceptions.

[Steel Shank 9,432]

I bought a par of Wahl clippers about 10 years ago. #1 all over, about every 10-14 days. I have my wife clean up the back. It's glorious. 

This. Exact same for me.

[ImissWallyPryor 9,046]

Not in Texas, but my daughter was just laid off from her restaurant job, but another nice restaurant where my other daughter worked is paying to have stickers slapped to the newspaper every day announcing that they are hiring. Unfortunately for my first daughter, she can’t stand that restaurant’s manager,  so she will find work elsewhere.

Weird world we live in...and no pics. 

[tbone_ 14,161]

Our neighborhood bar just closed for good. We know the owners. They make 50% of their revenue between Christmas and Easter here in AZ. Too much loss this year. Lease is up in August so they just said fuck it and closed for good.

Serious bummer. I loved that place. Was like our Cheers.

[G650 14,277]

3 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

Our neighborhood bar just closed for good. We know the owners. They make 50% of their revenue between Christmas and Easter here in AZ. Too much loss this year. Lease is up in August so they just said fuck it and closed for good.

Serious bummer. I loved that place. Was like our Cheers.

Furk.

[closetojumping 62,868]

15 minutes ago, ImissWallyPryor said:

Not in Texas, but my daughter was just laid off from her restaurant job, but another nice restaurant where my other daughter worked is paying to have stickers slapped to the newspaper every day announcing that they are hiring. Unfortunately for my first daughter, she can’t stand that restaurant’s manager,  so she will find work elsewhere.

Weird world we live in...and no pics. 

Are these daughters more or less living in say, somewhere like Arizona? Or more like Wisconsin?

[deadshank 24,653]

Our payroll PEO is no longer accepting ACH payments (they distribute funded payroll checks then draft our payroll account to recoup the funds) and are now causing us to first wire the money to them and then they fund payroll.  I have no problem with this.

They say they are already experiencing some companies not being able to fund their payroll liabilities after receiving funded payroll checks and then leaving the payroll PEO on the hook.

Not a good position to be in for our payroll PEO.

[VABuckeye 2,472]

Does it make sense to make a thread for Surly business owners/project managers/etc so we can shares thoughts and ideas on how we're all dealing with this?

[closetojumping 62,868]

1 minute ago, VABuckeye said:

Does it make sense to make a thread for Surly business owners/project managers/etc so we can shares thoughts and ideas on how we're all dealing with this?

I’ve used this thread for a little of that but I’d be game. 

[blacklab 11,951]

I've been thinking about doing that or something similar, more around how we can help each other out. 

I'd like to get a programming project or two in, figuring there's a business owner or two that would like to be productive now and am willing to take future payments for work. I'm sure others are in a similar boat.

[deadshank 24,653]

2 minutes ago, VABuckeye said:

Does it make sense to make a thread for Surly business owners/project managers/etc so we can shares thoughts and ideas on how we're all dealing with this?

You show us yours first and then we'll show you ours.

[Hank Scorpio 17,731]

I have all of my staff working from home, my home. They’re here cleaning and doing my laundry and landscaping. If you didn’t want to mow my lawn you should have thought of that before you became a paralegal. 

[Wulaw Horn 19,152]

11 minutes ago, VABuckeye said:

Does it make sense to make a thread for Surly business owners/project managers/etc so we can shares thoughts and ideas on how we're all dealing with this?

I’m in. 

[VABuckeye 2,472]

Topic started.  Open discussion but no Cloak Room please.

[Zwylde 812]

1 hour ago, deadshank said:

Our payroll PEO is no longer accepting ACH payments (they distribute funded payroll checks then draft our payroll account to recoup the funds) and are now causing us to first wire the money to them and then they fund payroll.  I have no problem with this.

They say they are already experiencing some companies not being able to fund their payroll liabilities after receiving funded payroll checks and then leaving the payroll PEO on the hook.

Not a good position to be in for our payroll PEO.

Ha, I wonder if we use the same one.  We still have a couple of employees who want live checks.  Our PEO tried to tell us that any live checks wouldn't be mailed out until Friday (payday).  I said, "uh.... no".  I'm funding you tomorrow, you can damn sure mail them tomorrow."

[Zepol87 9,191]

19 hours ago, Penelope said:

Turns out I can’t do that. I’m a private club and my liquor license will not allow me to do any of this. All other mixed beverage license can do it but not me because I’m a private club.  So I am completely fucked. Not sure why I am not allowed, pretty sure it has do with fucked up TA BC shit

Has anyone seen the true rules on this? I haven't seen any places close to Addison doing drinks to go other than beer? 

 

[ImissWallyPryor 9,046]

3 hours ago, closetojumping said:

Are these daughters more or less living in say, somewhere like Arizona? Or more like Wisconsin?

No

[BrazilHorn 6,633]

Another plug for a curbside pickup: Old 1000 off of E 11th st. Order online, put the time you want to pick up and pull up, wave at door, host asks your name and brings food out.

They do cocktails to go as well.

[Helobious 9,464]

On 3/23/2020 at 5:46 PM, Brothahorn said:

So what exactly is an essential business? I’m in logistics and several of my customers who deal in raw steel have been excluded from shutdown. We mostly handle plywood and tubing, though.

It seems at least 80% of businesses qualify as “essential” and are free to operate under all the shelter in place orders I’ve read.

[lonestar3 274]

@Steamboat1874 @deadshank

 

Are you guys hearing that residential construction is dead in the water and that builders have until the 27th until job sites need to be cleared? 

[deadshank 24,653]

19 minutes ago, lonestar3 said:

@Steamboat1874 @deadshank

 

Are you guys hearing that residential construction is dead in the water and that builders have until the 27th until job sites need to be cleared? 

Not at all.  Where did this rumor start?

[lonestar3 274]

4 minutes ago, deadshank said:

Not at all.  Where did this rumor start?

One of my builders. 

This from the CoA spokesperson: 

“Under the Order signed this morning, there will be no commercial construction, except in the limited exception where it’s constructing essential and critical assets. (See Ex B, 2p). Construction will be allowed for public works and residential purposes if it meets the other criteria, like affordable housing, etc.  Several City of Austin capital improvement projects are categorized as critical infrastructure under the public works clause and will continue construction. Crews are continuing to use best practices for sanitizing, distancing, etc.”

EMILY TUTTLE, CITY OF AUSTIN SPOKESWOMAN

 

With the "etc" in that statement including the following: public works construction, construction of affordable housing, housing for individuals experiencing homelessness, social services construction, and commercial construction that supports essential businesses or critical infrastructure in response to this public health emergency. 

[Hefeweizen 5,333]

I would call bs on the city on this one.  HBA should be able to get a letter from their attorney saying they are essential and make the city try to stop them.  There is no benefit to shutting down construction sites right now.

[lonestar3 274]

1 minute ago, Hefeweizen said:

I would call bs on the city on this one.  HBA should be able to get a letter from their attorney saying they are essential and make the city try to stop them.  There is no benefit to shutting down construction sites right now.

That's what I'm trying to make happen right now. Need to get ahold of the letter to see who sent it to that particular builder. 

[deadshank 24,653]

6 minutes ago, lonestar3 said:

One of my builders. 

This from the CoA spokesperson: 

“Under the Order signed this morning, there will be no commercial construction, except in the limited exception where it’s constructing essential and critical assets. (See Ex B, 2p). Construction will be allowed for public works and residential purposes if it meets the other criteria, like affordable housing, etc.  Several City of Austin capital improvement projects are categorized as critical infrastructure under the public works clause and will continue construction. Crews are continuing to use best practices for sanitizing, distancing, etc.”

EMILY TUTTLE, CITY OF AUSTIN SPOKESWOMAN

 

With the "etc" in that statement including the following: public works construction, construction of affordable housing, housing for individuals experiencing homelessness, social services construction, and commercial construction that supports essential businesses or critical infrastructure in response to this public health emergency. 

You're in Austin / Travis Co.  I'm in Houston / Harris  Co.  There must be some  difference in the wording.

 

Lifted from Harris County Work Safe decree.  Construction of housing or other types of construction including commerical is pretty broad and inclusive.

xi.Infrastructure, Development, Operation and Construction. For example, public works construction, construction of housing or other types of construction including commercial, manufacturing, airport operations and aircraft manufacturing, maintenance or repair, water, sewer, gas, electrical, oil refining, roads and highways, public transportation, solid waste collection and removal, internet, and telecommunications systems (including the provision of essential global, national, and local infrastructure for computing services, business infrastructure, communications, and web-based services).

 

[lonestar3 274]

2 minutes ago, deadshank said:

You're in Austin / Travis Co.  I'm in Houston / Harris  Co.  There must be some  difference in the wording.

 

Lifted from Harris County Work Safe decree.  Construction of housing or other types of construction including commerical is pretty broad and inclusive.

xi.Infrastructure, Development, Operation and Construction. For example, public works construction, construction of housing or other types of construction including commercial, manufacturing, airport operations and aircraft manufacturing, maintenance or repair, water, sewer, gas, electrical, oil refining, roads and highways, public transportation, solid waste collection and removal, internet, and telecommunications systems (including the provision of essential global, national, and local infrastructure for computing services, business infrastructure, communications, and web-based services).

 

You're correct. Think Dallas and Houston both had different wording that made residential construction inclusive into the "essential" sector. Sorry for making the assumption you were in Austin and sounding the alarm. 

 

Does appear that it's a real issue here in Travis that the HBA needs to get in front of fairly quickly. 

[deadshank 24,653]

1 minute ago, lonestar3 said:

You're correct. Think Dallas and Houston both had different wording that made residential construction inclusive into the "essential" sector. Sorry for making the assumption you were in Austin and sounding the alarm. 

 

Does appear that it's a real issue here in Travis that the HBA needs to get in front of fairly quickly. 

I can only imagine the reaction by builders or a property owner if some shave-tailed bureaucrat shows up to shut down a job mid stroke, say in the middle of a slab pour or with a roof 1/2 off.  The person trying to shut the job down had better have back up or they may become a permanent part of the building.

[lonestar3 274]

According to the builder, they're threatening a $1000 fine per worker on job sites after the 27th. 

[Hefeweizen 5,333]

Tell them to look at Exhibit B in the order.  Item p is pretty broad and covers most construction but I could see if it’s a remodel or addition being excluded

[BrazilHorn 6,633]

Putting another plug in for a local business - Milk and Cookies. It is a bakery/coffee walk up (right next to Tiny Boxwoods). Great pastries and decent coffee drinks.

Off 38th by the Randalls.

[lonestar3 274]

3 minutes ago, Hefeweizen said:

Tell them to look at Exhibit B in the order.  Item p is pretty broad and covers most construction but I could see if it’s a remodel or addition being excluded

It is fairly broad, but look at that order versus the Harris Co one deadshank posted above. 

[Hefeweizen 5,333]

I agree.  I think this was a screw up by someone writing the order.  I am checking with my builder clients to see what they are doing.

[Steamboat1874 4,085]

4 hours ago, Hefeweizen said:

I would call bs on the city on this one.  HBA should be able to get a letter from their attorney saying they are essential and make the city try to stop them.  There is no benefit to shutting down construction sites right now.

Actually it should be shut down. You are forgetting people that work for suppliers and are forced to come to work. We have not been able to change anything here so our office workers. production line, order pullers, drivers and receiving crews are exposed to one another and other people outside of this building all day. This business is not essential by any means right now unless it is building houses for the homeless.

 

KB did tell us recently that they would not have any new starts until further notice. (Their previous shutdown notice lasted about 4 days)

They are trying to finish houses in certain areas that are sold but will not start any more.

Many of the spec house home builders will probably stop as well. It would be stupid to build spec houses right now with all of the uncertainty.

 

[RollLeft 5,045]

21 hours ago, Hank Scorpio said:

I have all of my staff working from home, my home. They’re here cleaning and doing my laundry and landscaping. If you didn’t want to mow my lawn you should have thought of that before you became a paralegal. 

You joke but when i was at UT i was a runner for a firm downtown.  My dick of a boss told me almost exactly that statement before he shewed me off to go wash his car and sharpen his pencils, again, when i got back.    

[deadshank 24,653]

16 minutes ago, RollLeft said:

You joke but when i was at UT i was a runner for a firm downtown.  My dick of a boss told me almost exactly that statement before he shewed me off to go wash his car and sharpen his pencils, again, when i got back.    

Code word for you being his side piece?

[Hefeweizen 5,333]

1 hour ago, Steamboat1874 said:

Actually it should be shut down. You are forgetting people that work for suppliers and are forced to come to work. We have not been able to change anything here so our office workers. production line, order pullers, drivers and receiving crews are exposed to one another and other people outside of this building all day. This business is not essential by any means right now unless it is building houses for the homeless.

 

KB did tell us recently that they would not have any new starts until further notice. (Their previous shutdown notice lasted about 4 days)

They are trying to finish houses in certain areas that are sold but will not start any more.

Many of the spec house home builders will probably stop as well. It would be stupid to build spec houses right now with all of the uncertainty.

 

My work is all in ROW and infrastructure so I’m covered but I think it’s a draconian step which limits economic activity.  I get the point about suppliers but Ferguson still has to supply valves and pipes so they aren’t stopping.  Neither is Capital Precast, Forterra, etc.  I don’t get the distinction in suppliers but I agree it’s not cut and dry.  Probably belongs in the other economic discussion thread.

[G650 14,277]

17 minutes ago, Hefeweizen said:

My work is all in ROW and infrastructure so I’m covered but I think it’s a draconian step which limits economic activity.  I get the point about suppliers but Ferguson still has to supply valves and pipes so they aren’t stopping.  Neither is Capital Precast, Forterra, etc.  I don’t get the distinction in suppliers but I agree it’s not cut and dry.  Probably belongs in the other economic discussion thread.

This is my wheelhouse as well, and this is accurate.

 

Also, Ferguson fucking sucks.

[deadshank 24,653]

22 minutes ago, G650 said:

This is my wheelhouse as well, and this is accurate.

 

Also, Ferguson fucking sucks.

I have no problems with Ferguson.  (or Morrison).

[tx 3 putt 77,425]

6 hours ago, BrazilHorn said:

Putting another plug in for a local business - Milk and Cookies. It is a bakery/coffee walk up (right next to Tiny Boxwoods). Great pastries and decent coffee drinks.

Off 38th by the Randalls.

Very good place !

[LebongJames 1,813]

Builders still going strong today. My clients are trying to fight it. They did not let us do 5 grounds in Austin today in case they are really shut down. They think they can continue to work.

We only have 2 active communities in Austin. Everything still going strong in Hays and Williamson County. 
 

 

Edited March 25, 2020 by LebongJames
Coronavirus