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7 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,July 23,2020 theifp.ca Order at 905-877-7333 Summer DealS are Here! 184 Guelph Street, Unit A, Georgetown www.popularpizza.ca Limited time only 1 Medium, 1 topping: Only $4.42 1 Large, 3 topping, 1 dip: Only $9.99 Square pizza (16 slice), 1 topping & dip: Only $15 2 Medium, 6 topping, 2 dips: ($2 for Large, & $4 for X-Large pizza's) Only $15 3 Medium, 9 topping, 3 dips: ($3 for Large, & $6 for X-Large pizza's) Only $27 Tax extra Dental Implants It feels great to smile with Available here... New Patients Welcome Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Marketplace Dental Centre Georgetown Marketplace Mall HOURS: Monday & Wednesday 8:00am - 8:00pm • Tuesday & Thursday 8:00am - 6:00pm • Saturday 8:00am - 3:00pm 905-877-CARE (2273) • www.georgetowndental.com • Proudly Serving Georgetown Since 1994. businesses face a chal- lenge. With a large com- muter population, out of convenience, residents of- ten shop where they work. While COVID-19 cer- tainly hasn't been good for businesses - many of them just struggling to survive while having to shut down for extended periods - the pandemic has had one posi- tive effect with more people working from home. "What's happened is the reverse. Commuters are discovering what their town has to offer," says Kathleen Dills, general manager of the Halton Hills Chamber of Com- merce. "People are staying home, and they're recog- nizing the value of commu- nity." Kuiken was able to oper- ate online and take orders by email, but has certainly noticed a difference since reopening his store in late May as part of Stage 1 of the provincial plan. "Because people are home more, shopping local has never been stronger," he said. "My foot traffic is probably up 300 per cent and phone calls have qua- drupled." While that's good news, the reality is that business- es lost the revenue from an entire quarter of a year, of- ten while still having to pay operating expenses. "Businesses that were closed for three months, they're not getting that money back," Dills said. Damian Szybalski, di- rector of economic devel- opment, innovation and culture for the Town of Hal- ton Hills said businesses have experienced signifi- cant challenges while closed during the pandem- ic, but their recovery will be important for the town. "Ninety-eight per cent of Halton Hills business are considered small business- es and their success is cru- cial to the economic pros- perity of our community," he said. Downtown Georgetown BIA manager Yaw Ennin said landlords have worked with businesses to renego- tiate leases. That has played a big part in no busi- ness closures in the down- town during the pandemic. In his previous job in Windsor, Ennin said there was not only cross-border shopping to compete with, but also several BIAs com- peting for the local busi- ness. That hasn't been the case in Halton Hills, where the Chamber, the two downtown BIAs and the Georgetown Market Place have all been working to- gether to promote local ini- tiatives. Ennin said the town's decision to allow sidewalk patios is just one measure put in place that will help the recovery. "We're able to offer something that brings peo- ple to the downtown," he said. "And then you hope that after lunch they'll stay and check out some of the retail stores." The key for the busi- nesses will be to maintain any momentum they gain from having people home more. Downtown Acton BIA co-ordinator Alex Hilson said for those who didn't shop locally before, this is an ideal time to learn about the benefits, including an increased level of service. Hilson said the benefits go beyond the bottom line of one business. "The people you support through shopping local, they're our neighbours. They're the people who support our charitable events and our school fund- raisers," he said. "When you support them, you raise the whole community up." Dills added that its often the small businesses that employ high school and university students, often giving them their first work experience, as well as seniors. Kuiken has already hired an extra person to help with deliveries since reopening. He's confident in his ability to hold on to his new customers once they real- ize his prices are competi- tive with the big box stores and they he can deliver ser- vice they can't. "If you need a fridge to- day, I can get you one," he said. And with that, he's off to make a delivery. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: While it's no secret that the economic impact of COVID-19 has been felt by countless businesses, it seems there may be one bright spot to the lengthy lockdown. Through a store owner and the heads of the Chamber of Commerce and DBIA, we explore how more people are discover- ing the value of shopping locally while working from home. NEWS Continued from page 1 LANDLORDS WORKING TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES: DBIA MANAGER "People are staying home, and they're recognizing the value of community." - Kathleen Dills, Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce GM SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT THEIFP.CA A sweet business has re- opened in the 'sweet' heart of downtown Georgetown. Michelle Rogerson re- cently reopened Sugar Shack at a new location in downtown Georgetown. While Rogerson said she had hoped to be back in business at the new loca- tion in May, delays pushed the reopening to July. Originally, Sugar Shack was a part of Sweetie Pies, where Rogerson prepared a range of fare from sand- wiches to savoury pies and desserts, but when the business closed down in April, Rogerson chose to relocated in the heart of the downtown. Rogerson's mother, Ju- lie Greenslade, owned Sweetie Pies, and before that the George and Drag- on for 18 years, most of which with Rogerson em- ployed. Rogerson's sister, Alli- son Craig, took over owner- ship of another downtown Georgetown eatery, The Cellar. While the food service industry has been a family business, Rogerson branched into baking on her own. "It started with a cake pan," Rogerson said. "I'm completely self-taught." She said she recalls it was an oversized cupcake pan that started her baking career. "I watched a tutorial and made a fancy rose cake," she said. "Then I decided to bake a cake every Sunday, for my own benefit, to learn." It didn't take long for friends and co-workers to start commissioning cakes. "Two years later, I'm here, and I'm a lot better at cakes," Rogerson said. FOOD AND DRINK Michelle Rogerson (left) and her mother, Julie Greenslade. Bryan Myers/Torstar SUGAR SHACK REOPENS SUGAR SHACK CAFE AND DESSERTS Type: Dine-in lunch, treats, and custom cakes and desserts Address: 78 Main St. S., Georgetown Hours: Monday to Saturday -- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 905-702-0283 Website: www.sugarshack georgetown.com/ BRYAN MYERS bmyers@metroland.com