Woodley Park Businesses Breathe Sigh of Relief As Zoo Reopens--But They Aren't Out Of the Woods Yet
WASHINGTON, July 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- When the District entered its Stay At Home order in March, Woodley Park Main Street's businesses were dealt the devastating blow of losing the thousands of guests normally brought to the area by the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, and the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Overnight, previously successful businesses—some that have served the Woodley Park neighborhood for over 20 years—were forced to reduce staff by 75 percent. And now some are having to make the hard decision to permanently close.
But now there's a ray of hope: after a nearly 5 months of closure, the National Zoo reopened this past weekend—bringing with it a light-but-steady return of families.
"The National Zoo has always provided a steady flow of happy people, whether they are tourists or local," said Karl Hemmer, General Manager of Macintyre's. "The Zoo just makes people happy. We really need some of that positive energy right now!"
Celebrating its fifth anniversary last month, this popular sports bar has been hit hard. They have a permitted occupancy of 86 guests; however, social distancing measures have reduced this to 38 persons. With many people still nervous to dine in, the actual number is closer to 16 people, less than 20 percent of pre-COVID levels.
With the reopening this past weekend, Woodley Park businesses are reporting a slight increase in revenue. "Foot traffic from the Zoo is critical to Baked by Yael's success, and we definitely saw a bump in sales as a result of the Zoo's reopening," shared Yael Krigman, owner of Baked By Yael.
Unfortunately, the 5,000 people per day that can safely visit the zoo under the new protocols is just a fraction of the usual 20,000+ summertime visitors. Now more than ever, Woodley Park businesses need zoo visitors to intentionally shop local if they are to survive the pandemic.
"Mayahuel is the only authentic Mexican restaurant in the Woodley Park community," Miguel Pizarroso, owner of Mayahuel. "Our business depends greatly on tourism to this area of Washington, DC." Mayahuel has only recorded sales at 20 percent of pre-COVID earnings.
The National Zoo has implemented new safety protocols to provide a safe experience for guests. The local businesses are hopeful that these safety measures will encourage DC residents to come out and then continue their outing by enjoying a meal or shopping in the Woodley park neighborhood.
"We've made a lot of changes to create a safe environment for families so they may enjoy the benefits of being in an outdoor environment, see their favorite animals, and be inspired by our conservation mission," shared Lynn Mento, Executive Director of Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ). "Our success should create success for the community businesses as well."
Although the District entered phase two more than a month ago, the lagging return of the customer base has put some of Woodley Park's most beloved businesses in danger of closing. "From the work we've been doing with the business owners in the corridor, we can safely say that the number one action individuals and families can take to make a difference in preventing closures in Woodley Park is patronizing the businesses," said Jennifer Kuiper, Executive Director of Woodley Park Main Street. "So please, in whatever capacity you feel safe, give them your business as often as you can and encourage others to do the same."
You can learn more about Woodley Park Main Street by visiting www.woodleyparkmainstreet.org.
SOURCE Woodley Park Main Street
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