GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — It’s a day business owners won’t soon forget. March 24th, 2020.
It’s been a year this week since many businesses in the state were forced to close their doors as a result of Governor Tony Evers’ “Safer at Home” order, made in response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The order prevented “non-essential” businesses from opening, allowing only for curbside service.
Jill Muenster, owner of Green Bay’s Furs and Clothing of Distinction says it was awful, and even when she was allowed to reopen, it didn’t get much better.
“People just weren’t coming out, even for the first nine months,” she said. “It was awful.”
Her store survived. Many did not.
Kenny Didier is the General Manager of Hotel Northland, he had the same reaction a lot of people did.
“I was like, ‘Hey guys, we’re going to get a beer, because today is our only day’,” Didier said. “So we did that.”
After that day came 51 days without bars, without restaurants, without much in-person shopping. The order was struck down on May 13th when the State Supreme Court ruled that Governor Evers did not have the power to extend the order.
Business groups hope that with the end of the pandemic in sight, revenue will pick up.
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