CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Even though it is a new year, the coronavirus is giving businesses old hurdles.
Basilio Pahang is a part owner of Bachi in Charlotte and told WCNC Charlotte that restaurant owners are seeing the signs already.
"It's clear when people are starting to get a little worried," Pahang said. "When cases start to increase, you start to see the in-dining room traffic slow down a little."
The owner said one of the challenges is omicron's impact on employees.
"We've lost employees," Pahang explained. "There are some positive cases and when that happens, safety first. We do tell our employees to stay home."
The impact isn't just on small businesses.
Starting Monday, Jan. 10, Harris Teeter stores will close an hour earlier at 9 p.m. to allow staff to restock and clean.
Stores like Apple, Walmart, Starbucks and Walgreens have also been forced to temporarily close some locations or shorten hours.
With people isolating at home, Pahang said the business is ready for whatever comes.
"Its getting creative as far as cross-training positions, making sure employees can do multiple things," he explained. "In the scenario, we need them to do something else."
But at the end of the day, Pahang said this is business as usual during a pandemic.
"Just getting used to the new normal of just rolling with the punches and figuring out things on the fly," he said. "How to keep our customer service on a high level during the curveballs that COVID throws at us."
Contact Lana Harris at lharris@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and on Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte is part of seven major media companies and other local institutions reporting on and engaging the community around the problems and solutions as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.