“We had three customers all week,” said Michelle Connelly, co-owner of the newly opened Platinum Mermaid in Smyrna that sells upcycled furniture and home goods. “We may close next week.”
“We are doing everything in our power to be there for our customers, and to keep our door open,” Judy Goldie, owner of Trendy Pieces, Bella’s, and Marketplace on Murfreesboro City Square, shared.
Local restaurants, retail stores, and other small businesses have been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the new state of emergency order that just came down from the mayor of Murfreesboro is going to make matters even harder to cope.
To keep their stores and restaurants open, many local businesses are offering unique ways to make buying from them safe for their customers. Everywhere there are messages that we are in this together — each of us can be there for small local businesses by shopping from small stores, buying take out from a restaurant, or purchasing a gift card.
Goldie is offering curbside pick-up for all of her customers, and they can deliver in the city limits, as can Connelly. She uploads new items on her Facebook page every day that can be charged online. Goldie is doing Facebook shopping live.
Demos has a number of creative ways to serve their dining customers: curbside service, delivery in a seven-mile radius with a $20 minimum, and family-style pans to go. They will also do food truck pop-ups for a neighborhood for those tired of cooking at home or dealing with food shortages at the grocery store.
“We will schedule a neighborhood by working with a representative from the neighborhood to schedule a date and time,” said Kristin Demos. “We’ll be able to take some pre-orders for the neighborhood if they order through our online order system, but also we will have food for walk-up orders and also have some family-style pans to go for sale as well!”
Primrose Table, that has been a welcome addition to the food scene in Murfreesboro for the last four months, is focusing on curbside service with changing menus uploaded daily onto their Facebook page.
According to Laura Gossett, owner of Tasty Table, they are offering pick-up at Franklin Bargain Hunt parking lot on Wednesdays, and the Smyrna High School parking lot on Tuesdays. There is also Monday through Friday lunch pick-up. Orders can be placed by email, website, or phone. She has been able to keep many of her employees working because of the community embracing her business.
To let their customers know what they are doing to keep customers safe, Carpe Café in Smyrna made a video that can be seen on their Facebook page.
“We are at this time still open regular hours,” said Goldie. “We are trying to stay calm and positive and we are taking all of this one day at a time. Many of our customers have been comfortable shopping in our stores as we normally have two or three people in at a time max. Our stores are cleaned and sanitized all through the day.”
Platinum Mermaids Facebook
Bella’s Facebook Facebook
Marketplace Facebook
Trendy Pieces Facebook
Carpe Café Facebook
Demos’ Facebook
Primrose Facebook
Tasty Table Facebook
Here are a number of (but not all) other locally-owned restaurants offering carry-out:
*if you are the owner or manager of a local restaurant offering carry out, curbside or delivery, email us at [email protected] and we’ll add you to the article.
Donut Country
Simply Pure Sweets
Juicy’s
The Alley
Party Fowl
Fin Fusion
Ahart’s Pizza
Red Bicycle
Oshiya Hibachi and Sushi
Five Senses
Steakhouse Five
Dallas and Jane
Marina’s on the Square
Pan Thai Café
Cali Taco Shop
Empanada Sonata
Big Bobby’s Barbecue
Bangkok Café
