On Monday, June 29, the Ingleside Merchants Association hosted a virtual meeting about the impact of COVID-19 on Ingleside’s small business community.
Ocean Ale House owner Miles Escobedo and Neil Ballard led the discussion joined by the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development’s Jorge Rivas.
Almost a dozen small business owners and community members participated in the meeting that delved into the economic impact COVID-19 has had on the merchant community and neighborhood as a whole
Joanne Lei of Jojo’s Cafe said the federal government’s Payment Protection Program wasn’t enough and that her business is at 10% capacity.
Escobedo said that his business and other restaurants on Ocean Avenue need disposable gloves, hand sanitizer and face masks. Rivas took note of merchants’ Personal Protective Equipment needs in order to coordinate supply of those items.
The merchants association told Rivas that the purpose of the series of meetings about COVID-19 was in part to develop a tailored economic recovery strategy.
“It is so important for business owners to stay connected during this crisis so that they can coordinate on how they can support each other and so they can speak to City Hall with one voice to get what’s needed to stay afloat,” IMA Secretary-Treasurer Neil Ballard said.
The Ingleside Merchants Association intends to release a draft recovery strategy at the end of July.