Valley Stream businesses chronicle ups and downs during a year of pandemic

A year into the coronavirus pandemic, businesses in Valley Stream have been hit with a variety of challenges. Between government-mandated shutdowns, restrictions on gatherings and closing times, as well as safety measures intended to limit exposure to the contagion, there has been much to adapt to in order to stay open and stay afloat.

Many business owners say they have become accustomed to their altered operations, and with more people becoming vaccinated and warm weather on the horizon, some say they have seen an uptick in business.

“All the changes were chaotic at first, but now I’ve become used to it,” said Diana Carrillo, a Valley Stream resident and owner of Chicken Coop Colombian restaurant. “I do miss the warmer weather, because outdoor dining brought in a lot of customers, but overall I still have a good amount of customers coming to my restaurant to eat inside.”

Although business has been steady, Carrillo said, restaurants are still unable to operate at full capacity indoors, and she has had to let some of her employees go. She also closed the bar section of her restaurant to stop people from congregating. Currently, restaurants outside New York City are allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity, but starting March 19 that will increase to 75 percent, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“These changes are just a part of the business world now, and I’ve accepted that,” Carillo said. “When the weather warms up again, I look forward to more customers because people are less afraid of the virus when they are outside. My biggest hope for the future is that the pandemic will go away, so that everyone can just put this ugly chapter behind us.”

Bharati Carmona, a Valley Stream resident and owner of the Pily’s Unisex Hair Salon on Central Avenue, said that because of the pandemic, she has had more customers than ever, because many of her clients have started to work from home, and as a result, they have more time during the week to get their hair done. 

In addition to herself, Carmona said she has had one other staff member working five days a week with her at the salon. At the start of the pandemic, Carmona said she and her work partner were forced to close the salon for three months under mandatory state orders. The shutdown, she said, was a scary and uncertain time, but for the rest of the year, business began to flourish, she said, and increased by 80 percent. 

“Unfortunately, customers have to wait a lot longer to get a hair appointment now because we get booked so much faster,” she said. “I’m grateful for the success that our business is having, but I’m also sad for other businesses that haven’t been doing so well.”

Last February, Valley stream resident Jasmine Acosta, who founded and operates Thread That, and whose business model involves visiting clients in her home for various eyebrow treatments, such as threading, waxing, microblading and laminating, was able to thrive during the shutdown, since home visits were not prohibited.

Over time, after the in-person business shutdown was lifted, however, she found she had fewer clients because more people returned to the salons for eyebrow treatments. Starting in July, she moved into her own business space on Central Avenue.  

“It’s insane that the pandemic has lasted a year, and business for me was booming more when other salons were shut down and people were desperate to get their brows done,” Acosta said. “However, I still have a lot of loyal customers now. It’s unbelievable how much my business has taken off since I stopped running it from inside my home and I moved into a business space in Valley Stream. Even though my business is thriving, my hope for the future is for this pandemic to finally end, so that everything can go back to normal again.”