Molly Richards

     As the Corona virus consumes more and more of our daily lives, many local businesses are being affected by this pandemic. 

     One of the most impactful effects the Coronavirus has had is stripping many stores of essential products their customers need because of shopping rushes. 

     In the past week, many customers have gones to the stores for some home essentials such as toilet paper or purel, but have been unable to fin such products anywhere. 

     Big name convient stores like Target and Walmart are completely out of products because of the flood of consumers caused by recent panics of the public. 

     Many local businesses, like Corner Cup Coffee house and Stow Tavern have been closed and offering carryout because of the order put in place by Ohio’s Governor Mike Dewine. 

     However, many small businesses are trying their best to prevail through the virus. Corner Cup Coffee House posted several messages on their social media accounts reassuring customers that doors will still be open during normal business hours, but for takeout orders  and mobile order pickup only. 

     Many businesses have had to resort to only takeout orders as a response to this virus and the governments new orders. 

     Even before the complete shutdown, however, in Hudson, Yours Truly along with the majority of the other restaurants in downtown were losing sales by 50% or more. 

     And now with this shut down, many establishments have had to tell workers not to come in, which in turn prevents many workers from the service industry from getting paychecks. 

     These closings in Stow and Hudson have left many community members unemployed during this hard time.

     According to Wksu, “DeWine will sign an executive order to help the unemployed affected by the pandemic. The order will change Ohio’s unemployment law to enable workers who do not have paid-leave benefits to access unemployment benefits.”

     Although many sit down bars and restaurants have been hurt by this virus, many other food delivery services like ubereats and doordash have picked up in business.

     Some establishments in the community are still holding up against the effects the Coronavirus has had on local businesses, like Handles Ice Cream. As Handles is already technically carryout, they can remain open as long as they are following proper precautions and sanitation guidelines. 

     Even though these precautions are necessary, Dewine has said he understands the impact that these orders have on communities.

     In an article by Wksu, Dewine said, “All the actions we are taking, we are taking for this specific purpose. It is the small businesses, that in an order like this, are hurt the most. I’m fully aware of that.” 

     It is hoped that with Dewins awareness on the issue will come assistance for those businesses and individuals in the community who need the extra support during this time.

Hannah Bartels

   Barrio is an up-and-coming restaurant chain with several local Ohio locations. These locations include a few in Cleveland, one in Strongsville, one in Kent and many other areas. 

     With Barrio being as successful and popular as it is, the chain owners are hoping to eventually create more business in other states. Barrio’s popularity is quite obvious to anyone, and its reasons why are well known by everyone. 

     Unlike most chain restaurants, Barrio offers a unique take on the ordering process. Rather than reading a traditional menu and ordering through a waiter or waitress, customers are provided with small notepads that follow a bubble-in format.

     This format allows the customers to freely express their creativity by filling in bubbles to create a unique and personal taco. This is a nice option because there is a very large variety of choices.

     Customers may choose different meats, fish, different sauces, salsas, cheeses, lettuce and much more. None of the toppings are very traditional, which is why Barrio is so different from other taco restaurants like Taco Bell. 

     The topping options and bubble-in menus are nice, however, it is not very realistic for the typical customer. The large variety in toppings makes it difficult to find items that coordinate. Barrio is incredibly unique and requires the customers to have an expanded palette and open mind to trying new combos.

     For people with more limited taste palettes, the restaurant offers a smaller menu with pre-made tacos. This is not a typical order though, because most people want to experiment with their own combos.

     Before the meal, unlimited chips and salsa are also brought out to satisfy the customers. The appetizer is nothing special but still a delicious snack.

     For some people, it is not the food that draws them to Barrio. It is the atmosphere. 

     From down the block, I could see a line coming outside of the restaurant, and it peaked my interest. There is also a very interestingly detailed mural of skeletons that plaster the walls. Interesting light fixtures hang from the ceilings. 

     In addition, the atmosphere is very lively and noisy. There are lots of happy people there and many different groups of people come. Barrio attracts families, couples, friends, and many college students.

     Barrio is a very rapidly growing restaurant and has something special to offer all customers. I would not recommend this restaurant to people who prefer simple foods, but I would recommend that everyone tries it, because it offers qualities other than tacos that people may love.