Eugene area businesses are anxious to get back to work, but unsure when it will happen and what it will look like when they do.
Brittany Quick-Warner is CEO of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. She says Oregon Governor Kate Brown has indicated there won’t be a firm date for opening businesses. Quick-Warner says her advice is to plan for a mid-May to June time frame:
“Think through what you need to do," says Quick-Warner. "If you’re a restaurant, start reaching out to your employees, and finding out where they’re at. Start talking to your supply chains, figuring out your product orders now, and kind of just be ready so when you do find out, you can pull the trigger as quickly as possible.”
Quick-Warner says restaurants may need to plan for a new model. If they used to seat 50 customers at a time, they might only be able to accommodate 15. She says service businesses may take more time to bring every employee back to an office setting. She’s heard some say it doesn’t hurt them to wait an extra month, and it can only help the recovery effort.