How tight-knit Crows Landing Road community kept businesses afloat in pandemic
The coronavirus closures wreaked havoc on the economy at the start of the pandemic, but some businesses along the Crows Landing corridor in south Modesto have stayed afloat even without government aid and despite closing for varying lengths of time.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 62% of businesses across the country received a coronavirus-related loan or grant, but many businesses on Crows Landing Road have gone without. Some did not qualify for the loans, and others chose not to apply or are still waiting for their applications to go through.
Salvador Rodriguez runs one of the businesses that went without. The owner of Mariscos Colima, a food truck specializing in seafood, said it’s been about a month since he reopened after being closed for over a year.
“Sales are really good,” he said in Spanish, “as if I never would’ve closed.”
Rodriguez said his wife was diagnosed with cancer in February 2020 and died shortly after. Because of this and out of fear of catching the virus, he closed the food truck when the pandemic hit.
“With the pandemic, everything piled on,” he said. He added that in order to keep his business above water, he sold a ranch he owned in Modesto. The cost of his wife’s treatment, along with paying the house mortgage, had become too much.
Although he didn’t receive financial assistance for his food truck, he received a stimulus check, which he put toward paying his employees’ wages.
Thanks to his sacrifice and efforts, he said he’s reaping more revenue than before the pandemic because his loyal customers have returned.
Juan Oceguera, who owns La Reina Michoacana, a bakery and ice cream shop with two locations on Crows Landing, said his sales also have started to pick up again after slowing at the beginning of the pandemic.
However, unlike Rodriguez, Oceguera was able to get a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in 2020 for about $53,000. With the extra funds, he was able to renovate his business with new flooring and countertops. Upgrading the store has been part of his focus on keeping his customers happy and coming back.
Oceguera said he doesn’t “try to rely on the support of others” to keep his business running, preferring to focus on the aspects of his ice cream parlor that he can control. He said he doesn’t know why his sales have gone up in the past few months, but that “being consistent and putting your time and effort into (the business pays off).”
Antonio Hernandez, owner of Tacos El Tony, said although he hasn’t applied for financial assistance, his taco truck business has been doing well since reopening after an initial closure. He added that the stimulus check helped him.
“Thank God that business is better than before,” he said in Spanish. He added that business for him has been going so well, he’s looking to hire another employee.
Challenges differ among business types
To business owners looking to hire new employees, Derli Angarita, owner of Las Americas flower and gifts and De Amor Jeans, says good luck.
“I see the government here helps a lot, so much that people don’t want to work,” she said in Spanish. Angarita added that she feels people are OK with the small amount of money they’re getting from unemployment, as long as something is coming in. She has employees, but said it’s difficult to hire.
She said she opened her two businesses about a year ago and doesn’t qualify for financial assistance. The native of Colombia said the pandemic hasn’t affected her flower and gift shop much because she sells small items at a low profit margin. Her clothing store is a different situation, though.
“It has affected me because sales have gone down,” Angarita said. She added that she imports products from Colombia and Mexico, which can be costly. She also prices her corsets and jeans upward of $80 to $100, a price she feels some people may not be able to spare right now.
“You buy from me when you have money to spare,” she said. “First comes the food. If you buy yourself a corset, it’s because you know you’ve paid your other bills.”
Conscious of people living life in survival mode, she decided to close her clothing store for three months in 2020.
Angarita said she’s glad she received a stimulus check, but paying rent for the businesses, which are under the same roof, has been a challenge. “I would like to have the rent by the first of the month, but we haven’t had it,” she said about sometimes being late.
Nonetheless, Angarita said she’s grateful she’s not completely stressing over money, and that the U.S. hasn’t been affected by the pandemic like Latin American countries have.
“We haven’t seen here people going hungry … or so and so died on the street because of hunger or because he couldn’t pay the rent,” she said. “No, because thank God this government and this country is about opportunity.”
Locals rally in support
Many businesses across the Crows Landing Road corridor have been experiencing an increase in revenues, said Nelson Gomez, president of South Modesto Business United. SMBU provides support to businesses in the area and organizes cultural events in south Modesto.
Over the past few months, Gomez said, local vendors have been reporting profits, with some seeing sales higher than their pre-pandemic levels.
“People are wanting to go out to eat, to have a drink,” he said. “They are wanting to get out and spending their dollars with these businesses.”
Still, even with a few months of increased sales, local businesses have a year’s worth of bills and losses to consider.
SMBU’s marquee is an arch on the corner of Hatch Road and Crows Landing Road, complete with an electronic billboard. Since the start of the pandemic, the board has displayed general information both in English and Spanish about COVID-19 relief programs from the county and city.
The organization has been assisting local businesses in navigating the application processes for local grants and loans. Gomez said SMBU so far has helped 26 businesses receive funds. Additionally, it distributed masks and other PPE to individuals in the fall.
Over the course of the pandemic, Gomez said businesses in the corridor have shared similar concerns. Many had to close for weeks or months due to restrictions placed on certain industries, like restaurants and hair salons. Others said it was difficult to find specific resources to help them stay afloat during the pandemic.
There was also confusion about the statewide tier system, Gomez said, and what was allowed during different sets of restrictions.
SMBU was able to bridge some of those gaps, Gomez said, working with county agencies and other nonprofits to provide information and support — especially about county programs that can appear complicated at first glance.
“The community came together and businesses were able to lend a hand in,” he said. “You saw businesses helping other businesses. … We saw a situation where many organizations and individuals within those organizations went out of their way to be able to help people ... during that period of time when it was the darkest.”
Giving shots helps residents, pharmacy
One of those businesses is Familia Farmacia, which has become a vaccination center during the pandemic. Owner Miguel Oseguera said the pandemic initially slowed business at his drugstore, “just like for everyone else.”
Before COVID hit, Oseguera said he had lots of regular customers coming into the pharmacy for prescriptions. “But then the pandemic happened, and the quality of patient care changed dramatically, and it all became COVID,” he said.
Oseguera shifted gears, too. In November, he started researching the COVID-19 vaccines that were being developed and put together the information for his clients. Then, in January, Modesto City Councilman Tony Madrigal got him in contact with county officials, and “four days later,” he was able to start picking up vaccine doses.
Familia Farmacia had to hire more staff to help administer the vaccines and deal with the influx of patrons. Now, the surge of customers is dying down as restrictions ease up and the county begins to head back to “normal,” Oseguera said.
He still is checking in with local community groups, re-posting information and paying it forward to his fellow businesses along Crows Landing Road.
Familia Farmacia is now offering Saturday vaccination clinics and is providing patients with free tacos from neighboring restaurants after they get their shot.
It’s one way for Oseguera to support his community through a pandemic that has affected everyone in different ways..
“It’s tough on everybody,” he said. “In this little block, we’re all helping each other.”
This story was produced with financial support from the Stanislaus Community Foundation, along with the GroundTruth Project’s Report for America initiative. The Modesto Bee maintains full editorial control of this work.
To help fund The Bee’s economic development and children’s health reporters with Report for America, go to https://bit.ly/ModestoBeeRFA
This story was originally published May 25, 2021 at 4:51 AM with the headline "How tight-knit Crows Landing Road community kept businesses afloat in pandemic."
