Construction zone cuts into profits

Retailers try to adjust as crews work on Cornwall

DAVE GALLAGHER

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As a new coffee shop owner, Aaron Bel Cher has learned one of the ugly truths about running a business: Road construction can be a killer on sales.

Bel Cher began working at Fantasia Coffee House (formerly known as Fantasia Tea & Espresso) in December and took over ownership in March. This happened just as the city began its $2.2 million, fivemonth water pipe replacement project. It wasn’t long before construction crews were on his block, and soon he was dealing with the water being shut down for a day and very few customers walking in the door.

For a three-week period Bel Cher estimates he lost $144 a day, a significant drop for a small cafe trying to rebuild its customer base after the change of ownership. The work in front of his cafe took longer than expected, and at one point he made a plea on the company’s MySpace page, asking customers to come back or he would be forced to close.

“I was just getting to a point where I could hire employees and make some improvements to the business, and then this happened,” Bel Cher said. “There were days when it would have been better to have not opened, because I didn’t make enough to pay for the expenses involved in being open.”

Many of the retailers along Cornwall Avenue have been busy adjusting to the road closures, construction crews and the drop in foot traffic. Strider Construction is replacing a 10- inch cast-iron pipe originally installed in 1918 and doing other improvements on Cornwall between Chestnut and Ohio streets.

At A New Leaf Flowers, business focused on online and phone sales after foot traffic disappeared for a time, said designer Jodie Sonnon.

“It was a bit of challenge, though, to talk on the phone when the jack hammer was going, but we were able to get things done,” Sonnon said with a laugh. “We knew that when foot traffic dropped off, it was time to find other things to do.”

Chris Foss, co-owner at Greenhouse, agreed. When people couldn’t find places to park, sales dropped significantly. Things are starting to return to normal now that construction has moved farther down Cornwall.

“It’s one of those situations where you have to take a deep breath and take the long view,” Foss said. “It’s an issue that businesses just have to deal with from time to time.”

Last week the construction crews had moved past Fantasia to start work on the next block, so Bel Cher is hoping business will bounce back. The cafe will host The New Water Main Celebration Party Extravaganza Gala on Saturday, including live music. He hopes the event will draw back some of the customers he lost and give him a chance to continue to grow the all-ages music venue he’s started there.

“I was exposed to so much music that it was a great childhood experience. I want this to be a place where kids can hear some live music,” Bel Cher said. “I’m hopeful that things will turn around, because there aren’t many all-age music venues in town anymore.”

INDOOR FUN FOR CHILDREN IS BACK

Ever since Tube Time left a few years ago, parents have been on the lookout for an indoor place to let their kids run around. Two families may have come up with a solution.

On Friday, Matt and Sarah Robison and Cris and Nikki Wesselman will open Jump Around Fun Zone at 4600 Meridian St., near Horton Road next to Chocolate Necessities. The facility will offer inflatable bounce houses, an 18-foot-tall dual-lane slide and a 60-foot obstacle course. It will also offer two private party rooms, a toddler area, concession sales and free Wi-Fi in the parents’ area.

The play areas will be limited to children 12 and younger and less than 5 feet tall for safety reasons, said Matt Robison. They also will have a wristband system to keep track of the children, lots of hand sanitizer and require that all children wear clean socks. Between the Robisons and Wesselmans, there are seven children ranging from ages 2 to 9, so they built the facility with them in mind.

“Safety and cleanliness are extremely important to us with our own kids, so we are going the extra mile to ensure children can play safely throughout the year,” said Robison, who added they used the Washington state Labor & Industries’ voluntary inspection program to make sure everything is safe.

Jump Around initially began as a home-based business with an inventory of two bounce houses, but they quickly realized that there was more demand, particularly when the weather is rainy.

For more information about the business, visit www.jumparoundfunzone.com or call 647- 5867.

OTHER TIDBITS Lisa Van Doren, Kathleen Iwersen and Trish Healey are busy stocking their inventory for Ideal — Carefully Curated Goods and are expected to open at 1227 Cornwall Ave. (next to Greenhouse) sometime in early May. For more information, visit www.anidealshop.com. … Birch Bay Square continues to move along with construction, although there is no official announcement yet on a grocery store for that site, said Adam Ware, whose family is one of the investors in the shopping center near Custer. He expects the Jack in the Box restaurant there to be ready by mid-May.

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Monday, Apr. 28, 2008

Construction zone cuts into profits

Retailers try to adjust as crews work on Cornwall

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