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Small businesses handling omicron surge, so far

Restaurants report an uptick in business compared to this time last year.

LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — Small businesses have been strained over the course of the pandemic. And as COVID cases reach all-time highs, the owners of small businesses here in our area worried if they'd go back to 2020 lows.

But, that hasn't been the case.

The manager of Downtown Deli in Scranton told Newswatch 16 she still loves her job but can't think of a more complicated time for restaurants.

"I've been in the restaurant business 30 years, and it's one of the first times I really don't know what to expect anymore," Denise Lepo said.

Lepo said every phase of the pandemic has presented new hoops for her and her staff to jump through. Now, it's a rising number of COVID infections among workers.

"Trying to keep a full staff, pulling from part-timers, pulling from fill-ins, to cover the ones that are out," she said.

But, the omicron surge hasn't stopped the customers from coming into the place Biden Street.

"I have to say I haven't noticed people staying away. People are still going strong, thank God. We're still jumping through hoops as a business on that side of it. But, people are not reacting to it as they were a year ago," Lepo added.

A year ago brought some of the lowest lows for businesses, but Ferri's Pizza in Moscow is seeing an all-time high for takeout traffic.

"Business has been very good. People seem to be ordering out more than even before the pandemic," Sabrina Ferri said.

Finding workers and keeping them healthy has been the biggest issue lately at Ferri's, too.

Though things are looking up compared to a year ago, the pandemic has permanently changed how many small businesses run.

"We don't have any plans to ever reopen our dining room ever again," Ferri added.

Watch more stories about the coronavirus pandemic on WNEP’s YouTube page.

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