As the clock was getting closer to hitting 5 o'clock, residents and business owners of San Luis Obispo were rushing to prepare before the shelter-at-home order went into effect Thursday.
“As soon as about an hour after the word hit the streets yesterday, the phone started ringing and people started booking online so we’re gonna go out with a bang which is nice” said Whitney Winsor, the owner of Clippers Barbershop.
Winsor said she is considering terminating some of her employees to allow them to file for unemployment due to her being unsure of when her shop will be able to re-open.
“We definitely talked about that yesterday and this morning because those funds are available, that’s pretty much the only avenue we have to take because if we are not cutting hair, we’re not making money” added Winsor.
Other businesses that are considered "non-essential" during the order such as nails salons say this month of uncertainty has already resulted in less business, but they still believe it was the right decision by local officials.
“I went through this in 2008 and I believe everything is going to be fine. We just have to follow the rules, our safety is more important than anything else" said Cindy Tran, owner of Sky Nails & Spa.
One customer of Sky Nails & Spa, Susane Feola, said she believes this is a time for unity on all ends.
“We’ll get out of this and it’ll make us a lot better. I think we’ll appreciate each other and our world around us," said Feola.
The order will be reviewed every 14 days.
For a list of essential and non-essential businesses, click here.
