Small Business Support

JOHN? YEAH, GUY WE PULLED ABOUT EIGHT DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS IN THE FIVE POINTS SOUTH DISTRICT, ONE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SHOOTING, THEIR SALES ACTUALLY DROPPED ABOUT 80%. ANOTHER SAID THAT THEIR NIGHTLY NUMBERS WENT FROM ABOUT $1,000 DOWN TO 300. BUT SINCE THEN, THINGS HAVE STARTED TO PICK UP. THE SHOCKWAVES CREATED BY THE SEPTEMBER 21ST MASS SHOOTING WERE UNDENIABLE. FOUR PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 17 OTHERS HURT. THAT WAS EXACTLY TWO MONTHS AGO. 62 DAYS LATER, FIVE POINTS BUSINESS OWNER ACE GRAHAM HAS NOTICED A SHIFT. I THINK ITS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PLACE FROM WHAT IT WAS TWO MONTHS AGO. I THINK NOW SO MANY THINGS HAVE HAPPENED. THE SEASON HAS CHANGED. WHILE MOST RESTAURANTS WE POLLED SAW A DROP IN DINERS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE TRAGEDY, THEY ARE NOW SEEING SALES TREND UP. GRAHAM BELIEVES THE UPCOMING SEASON OF SPENDING WILL HELP THE HOLIDAY SEASON ENJOYING THE AREA. SPENDING TIME HERE, EATING OUT, SHOPPING WITH US AS WELL TO OUR COMMUNITY, RUNNING HASNT STOPPED. WEVE ACTUALLY BEEN GROWING SINCE THEN. BUT WITH THAT GROWTH COMES A LOSS. TODAY WE CONFIRMED THE HUSH LOUNGE, THE NIGHTCLUB NEAREST TO THE SHOOTING, WILL SHUT ITS DOORS IN TEN DAYS. I THINK ITS REALLY TOUGH FOR ANYONE TO OPERATE A SMALL BUSINESS RIGHT NOW. SO WITH SO MANY THINGS HAPPENING AND SO MANY THINGS CAUSING ISSUES FOR PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS, IM NOT SURPRISED WHEN I SEE ANY BUSINESS CLOSING. THE OWNER DID NOT GIVE A REASON FOR CLOSING HIS DOORS AND STILL RUNS THE SLEEK NIGHTCLUB IN THE SAME BLOCK. GRAHAM BELIEVES AS MORE TIME PASSES, THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT WHERE HE WORKS AND LIVES WILL ONLY GROW STRONGER. CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS TO PUSH THE THE COMMUNITY FORWARD. JUST ACTIVATING EVENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY CONTINUOUSLY SUPPORTING PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND DOING EVERYTHING THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO DO AS SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND AS PATRONS. DAMIEN MCDANIEL WAS CHARGED IN THE MASS SHOOTING OF 21 PEOPLE, WHICH BIRMINGHAM POLICE CLAIM IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. NOW, GRAHAM SAYS HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO PLANNING THE FIVE POINTS SOUTH SAINT PATRICKS DAY PARADE IN MARCH, WHICH HE HOPES WILL BE THE FOURTH THAT HE HOPES THE 41ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE EVENT WILL BE ITS BIGGEST EVER. LI