‘Hurting and struggling’: Portland business owners say riots worsening economic impact of coronavirus

Violent protests and riots are adding to the economic burdens from the coronavirus on Portland, Oregon, businesses.

Business owners in the city say rioters’ engagement with law enforcement recently has turned downtown Portland into a “desolate” place, making people fearful of dining, drinking, or shopping in the area.

“I think all restaurants are really hurting and struggling, but I’m not sure if the city and state officials realize that to be a restaurant and to be in downtown Portland right now is a double blow,” Pizza and Brewery shop owner Adam Milne told the Oregonian in an interview published Saturday. “Not only are we suffering from the pandemic, but we have an area of the state that everyone is avoiding eating and drinking.”

Milne shut down his local business on July 9 after he closed out the day with just over $18 in sales, attributing the economic hardship to state lockdowns amid the coronavirus. However, he and other business owners said protests occurring at night have worsened the city’s reputation and turned off potential clientele.

Eric Murfitt, who controls a family-owned clothing store in the area, said he reopened his shop in May after coronavirus restrictions eased. After the death of George Floyd, Murfitt watched rioters attack and loot his store through security footage. He said police gathered the security footage and obtained a statement but have not followed up.

“The most important pressing thing on my mind is what city leadership is going to do to restore peace and order,” said Murfitt, whose store has operated for 45 years. Murfitt hopes to reopen his business in August, but needs protection from law enforcement to ensure it can safely operate. Meanwhile, a robbery of local jewelry stores was reported last week, and police have not yet arrested a suspect in connection with the crime.

Stacey Gibson, the owner of several Subway stores, boarded up the windows of the businesses, following the lead of other local stores. Gibson told the Oregonian that customers don’t realize stores are still open even though windows are boarded up, plummeting the stores’ overall sales.

“It’s just desolate,” Gibson said. “There’s no cars, there’s no people, and everything is boarded.”

However, Steven Lien, who owns UnderU4Men in downtown Portland, said he supports the protests and instead believes the lack of police patrol in other areas hurts business.

“The perception from the customer, I think, is the most important aspect,” Lien said. “The customer feels unsafe right at the moment in the downtown core, but it’s actually quite safe.”

Many hotels within the area of protest have decided to remain closed as tourism has declined since the violence has ensued.

“We’re attracting approximately 4,000 visitors a weekend, which is down from where we would normally be,” said Howie Bierbaum, owner of Portland Saturday Market. “We attribute a lot of it to less tourism, and we thrive on tourism. The good news is that those that do visit are intent on shopping.”

Business owners such as Milne said the city needs to do more for businesses to stay afloat.

“I think eventually a plan will probably be created, but we need it fast,” he said. “Most of us can’t afford to pay our rent and be closed for six months while we wait for some sort of recovery. It’s a really immediate problem.”

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