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Mostly Cloudy Rockville Centre shops suffer from staff shortages
Businesses still feel Covid-19 impact
Throughout Rockville Centre, many windows of local shops sport “Help Wanted” signs, making it clear that business owners are working their way past the economic devastation of the coronavirus pandemic.
Elizabeth Douge has owned Presava Boutique, on Merrick Road, for eight years, and there has been a sign in the window for the past three months. At the same time, the dramatic dropoff in social and holiday gatherings has slowed her business, Douge said, adding that one of the biggest challenges of the pandemic has been finding financial assistance. She applied for federal loans to help pay the rent, electricity and phone bills as well as her payroll, she said.
According to Douge, the biggest obstacle when it comes to finding new employees has been that many people she has interviewed have asked for more base pay. “We can’t afford that,” she said simply. “In general, those who are collecting unemployment don’t want to leave it.” Her boutique pays more than most local retailers, she said, but it’s still difficult to compete with unemployment benefits. And her rent recently increased, further complicating her situation.
“It’s been tough, but I would say we have been surviving on the enormous local support,” Douge said. “We’re picking up a new clientele base that is finding us on Facebook, Instagram, and previous clientele.”
She said she also believes the store’s “city-like” aesthetic appeals to Rockville Centre residents, because many work in Manhattan and appreciate her sophisticated fashions. Douge worked in the fashion industry for 17 years, for well-known brands including Echo and Converse, and strives to offer the latest apparel to young working women.
Eduard and Ilvira Kalandarov have owned Prestige Barber Shop, on Merrick Road, for nearly two decades, but few periods have been as challenging as the past year and a half, they said. The lack of large social gatherings and in-person work, Eduard explained, kept people away from the shop, though business has improved as vaccination numbers have risen.
Early last Friday afternoon, every barber chair and waiting chair at Prestige was occupied, which the owners said they hoped was a sign of things to come. “The town is great, and people try to support their own barbers, restaurants and all that stuff,” Eduard said. He added that many of his regulars had returned.
The newest challenge has been finding more barbers. “It’s very hard to find people today,” Kalandarov said. “Some are afraid to work because we are in close contact with the people.” Prestige’s barbers are vaccinated and excited to be back doing what they love, he said, and he hopes more will join the business soon.
Front Street Pizzeria has had its own hiring challenges recently. Co-owner Missy Kenny said that the business has gotten by, but she worries about the summer employees who will head back to college amid the difficulty of filling permanent positions.
“Nobody wants to work,” Kenny said, adding, “They’re already getting paid” as more people continue to collect unemployment. The pizzeria has had trouble finding a new full-time cook, which Kenny attributes to those extended benefits. “It’s affecting hospitality,” she said, “and personally, I think people have to get back to work.”
With the recent increase in Covid cases, it appears that local small businesses will have to continue to adapt to the virus’s lingering challenges. The Chamber of Commerce and village officials have done much to promote local business despite the pandemic, including hosting a celebration at this time last year to announce a return to something like normal as coronavirus cases were decreasing.
“Rockville Centre is now open for business again,” Mayor Francis X. Murray said at the time. “That’s why we’re here. We’re going to put out a message to please come out and support all of our businesses.”
One year later, that message hasn’t changed, and those businesses are ready to welcome new employees as well as new and returning customers.
