Downtown Chandler businesses struggling due to coronavirus impact

What would normally be a vibrant Downtown Chandler full of people and life, was not the case on this first Friday night after restrictions on Arizona bars and restaurants went into place.

For downtown businesses, like Mingle and Graze, which call Chandler home and depend on foot traffic, they are doing anything they can to stay open.

“We’ve got specials off of our menu, we have our quarantine package which we want people to take advantage of, it’s like deep discounted,” said Mahfam Moeeni-Alarcon, co-owner of Mingle & Graze.

As some shops explore every option they can, others are having a harder time. El Zocalo Mexican Grille had to close down their entire restaurant as they tried converting from sit-down to take-out but said it just wasn’t a plausible business model.

“We might not be able to re-open, but I’m not thinking about that right now. I’m thinking about my staff and god willing, we’ll pull through this together, and we’ll be back for another 20 years,” said Panfila Rubio Delacruz, owner of El Zocalo Mexican Grille.

Even Maury Williamson, the owner of Country Clipper Barber Shop, who’s been a barber in Downtown Chandler for over three decades, hopes he and his neighbors can get through this difficult time and come out stronger on the other side.

“In the 35 years I’ve been down here we went through the ’08 real estate bottom dropped out, we went through 9-11, and it was not to this level, and I’m a bit concerned.”

Originally written by John Trierweiler and published on azfamily.com.

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