SACRAMENTO, Calif — Sacramento Kings games and all other concerts and events at the Golden 1 Center have been canceled amid growing concerns over that worldwide pandemic that is the coronvirus.
But the Golden 1 Center is not the only place in Sacramento's Downtown Commons that's being hit by a lack of business. Businesses surrounding DOCO are starting to take in the reality of what the arena's closure will mean for their pocket books.
Nicholas Parker, a bartender at Fizz Champagne Bar inside the downtown shopping center, said his livelihood depends on the tips he makes at the restaurant. But because of the canceling of events at Golden 1 Center, he's feeling an immediate trickle effect.
"We did have some special events that we had to cancel as well," Parker explained. "We are being impacted all the way around. We're fortunate to have a winemaker from Champagne [France] coming to visit us next week, and his ship has been canceled. We are in the dark like everyone else."
Mayor Darrell Steinberg said Thursday during a press conference that the city has plans to support small business hit affected by the coronavirus. Steinberg said the city will establish a $1 million economic relief package for the small businesses that will come in the form of $25,000 zero interest loans.
"[We'll] have the ability to set up a quick process by which if a small business in and around downtown — or even outside the downtown — is having a hard time making it due to the coronavirus, we can help prop them up," Steinberg said.
Parker said he's not sure yet what support they need from the mayor or the city because the problems are so new and ongoing.
"I hope to see, if we are unable to work, if there's some form of assistance," Parker said. "I'm really unsure. This is so new to me. I'm getting pretty worried. For a long time I thought it was China's problem, but it's more than that."
Justin Bilbao, the owner of Get A Clue, a streetwear store that's been in Sacramento for decades, said he is not worried about sales, because the store's longevity has allowed him to build a strong customer base.
Still, he said he has gone the extra mile to ensure his employees that they will stay afloat as foot traffic slows.
"We will deal with it as we go, and we are all in this together," Bilbao said.
Follow the conversation on Facebook with Monica Coleman.
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