The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way many businesses on Concession Street are operating.

Chris Mifsud, who opened Chris’s House at 421 Concession St. 11 years ago, noted his radio-controlled model car and boat sales and service business moved to deliveries only in mid-March and then began offering curbside service for prepaid orders a few weeks ago.

“It’s kept us busy,” said Mifsud, who figured his business has dropped by 40 to 50 per cent.

Still, Mifsud said he’s been doing 10 to 20 curbside pickups each day.

He expects a big bounce back when he can open his doors to the public again.

“Radio controlled guys and model guys are pretty loyal,” he said.

Mifsud said he was looking to resume limited in-store sales on May 25.

The business owner has seen business drop-offs before.

He noted there was no traffic going past his business for about two months when Concession Street was reconstructed in 2015, and in 2018 a burst pipe put him out of business for a month-and-a-half.

Across the street at Joslin’s Mixed Martial Arts, owner Jeff Joslin noted when the gym closed in mid-March that was the first time in 52 years of business that they closed outside of a statutory holiday.

“In martial arts you have to adapt, and you have to change,” Joslin said.

And adapt he did.

After a couple of days at home, Joslin said he started making workout videos that he put on his YouTube channel and have been seen around the world.

A couple of weeks later, he began teaching karate, boxing, kick-boxing and jiu-jitsu classes online via Zoom.

“All the stuff we’re doing online is free for everybody,” said Joslin, who also runs an online bingo game for children on Saturdays.

Joslin said he is financially secure for now, but is looking to resume classes at the gym once the province lifts the restrictions.

While he’s preparing for an eventual reopening with limited access and student participation, Joslin is looking at the pandemic experience philosophically.

“Sometimes the craziest moments and the most difficult moments in life turn out to be some of the best, where you learn the most,” he said.

Down the street at Heal Wellness at 584 Concession, co-owner Jessie Davidson agreed the decision to put an order window on the storefront when they moved in nearly a year ago turned out to be a very good business decision. It has enabled customers to practise physical distancing and get their vegan fare and smoothies without going into the café.

“We knew it was a good addition, but we never knew it would be used for this purpose,” he said. “It was definitely an advantage to have the grab-and-go setup.”

Davidson noted the loss of in-café business has cost them revenue, but some of that has been made up by a big jump in delivery orders via online services such as Skip the Dishes.

“We’re seeing those increase tenfold because people want to stay at home,” Davidson said.

He added the dog lounge and dog run at the back of the café have been closed since mid-March.

Concession Street Business Improvement Area executive director Cristina Geissler said while it has been a difficult time on the street, the coronavirus has not claimed any businesses in the BIA yet.

She noted some businesses that have closed or are closing made that decision prior to the pandemic.

Geissler said as many as three dozen businesses that have been deemed non-essential, such as hair salons and the Zoetic Theatre, have been forced to close temporarily.

Among them is the new Drip Beauty Parlor at 489 Concession that began moving in last February.

“I was ready to go,” said business owner Kaitlynn Showler.

After sinking “many thousands of dollars” into new salon and with 25 bookings, Showler said she had planned to open March 16.

Then the pandemic hit, forcing her to postpone opening indefinitely.

“At first I was thinking, OK this will be a month, then a month turns into two months and two months turns into three months and now we don’t even know,” said Showler, who added she doesn’t qualify for any government assistance and she is not getting any breaks from her bank or landlord.

“It’s very frustrating because I’ve worked very hard to save a lot of money to live my dream and I got close as a thread to opening my doors,” she said.

Showler said she is ready to open with limited access the moment the province lifts the restrictions.

Things are not as dire for Jordan Leite, who is looking to open the Milk Beauty Bar salon at 532 Concession by July 1.

Leite began moving into the storefront location during the second week of May, noting the pandemic has given her a chance to organize the new business.

“It’s a really good opportunity to be able to focus so much time on getting it ready,” she said. “It hasn’t been all negative for me.”

Like Showler, Leite expects to offer limited service to start once the restrictions are lifted.

Meanwhile, Geissler said when Concession Street returns to whatever becomes the new normal, she is hoping the public will return to the shops and businesses.

“When businesses are able to reopen, we really need the community’s support and help to get these businesses back on a positive upswing,” she said.

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THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Hamilton Community News wanted to look at how businesses along Concession Street were coping with and adapting to the coronavirus pandemic.