This week's East Meadow Hometown Hero: Michael Shannon

Michael Shannon
East Meadow 

Owner, East Meadow Upholsterers
East Meadow

 I had a fever on March 21, and it was actually my anniversary with my wife, and we were planning on going to Aruba. It was also a 60th birthday present to me. We canceled the trip when I got sick. I started getting better for a few days, and then it got much worse on March 25.

That’s when I decided to close my shop and tell my upholsterer to go home. I had eight to 10 pieces I was working on, and I had to leave them. For 14 straight days, I had a fever. I think I helped myself by sitting in the sun every day. I lost my sense of smell and my sense of taste. My wife had it too, but not as bad. She nursed me back to health.

After 14 days, I didn’t have a fever anymore and started feeling better. I still had to keep my businesses shut down, but I worked every day cleaning the shop. I got a dumpster and filled it up with 32 years of stuff I couldn’t normally take the time to get rid of, so that worked well for me.

I had people calling me up, and I kept putting them on hold until I could open up again. I opened up again in June, and the phone still hasn’t stopped ringing. People had been waiting to get their furniture done all that time. So I was very busy.

Now I wear a mask and have one person in the shop at a time. I started doing appointment only, but people kept walking in anyway, so I just have them wait outside. Everything my costumers give me is taken apart and replaced with fresh new fabric.

It’s a nice feeling being out there again and getting to say I survived this. I’m a big part of East Meadow’s history as one of the oldest businesses here. I take care of everything and I take care of my costumers the way they should be taken care of, and I think that’s why my business is so reputable.