What is the day-to-day like for Evoke?
The new normal for Evoke can be a bit quiet and solemn. People who do come in are stoked that we are open which has lifted my spirits personally, but the streets feel like a ghost town, and thus our sales are also down. We are open every day from 9am-4pm, but I unfortunately cannot afford to pay anyone on payroll so it is a staff of just me every day. It’s definitely been an adjustment. I am grateful to be open at all, but I am also nervous about our uncertain future.
What kinds of changes have you had to implement for customer safety?
We have everything in to-go containers, but otherwise the menu has remained the same. We cannot let people hangout in the store as we used to. We wipe down any surfaces that people have been sitting at while waiting for their coffee and/or food. We wipe down the credit card machine between transactions. Just extra safety precautions. We also leave the door open so the handle doesn’t need to be touched by customers coming in or out.
How have your customers responded to changes?
Customers that do come in are stoked to have human interaction at all, as it has been a lonely time for anyone living alone in the city right now. Everyone has been great, it just has been sad to see such a reduction in the amount of people coming in. We do about 1/10th the business of what we normally would at this time.