I had something different in mind for our blog this month, but as I sit here and start to write, I realize something else is weighing heavy on all our minds. In the wake of this pandemic (wow, I never thought I’d be faced with a pandemic), I find the priorities in many areas have now shifted. Beyond the shop, Emily and I are faced with how to prepare our family life with a new mindfulness.

We know that in the face of the unknown, many of us are changing our normal routines. With the cancellations of sporting events, concerts and gatherings, we know that some of you have chosen to stay put. My family too has decreased our social activities (much to the argument of two teens).

For those that are wondering, we are still open and serving our customers. We have taken steps to sanitize our common areas often (doorknobs, point of sale, etc) and for those that visit Dennison Dalman barbershop, the barbers have also taken extra measures there, beyond the state-regulated sanitary processes. We hope this makes you feel more at ease when you continue to visit us.

For those that prefer to shop online, we are happy to ship items to you and we have reduced our shipping prices for the time being. If you’d like to order online and pick-up in-store, we’ll accommodate by preparing your packages for you too. Just use the promo code “localship”, to avoid shipping charges. If you send us a note, we can even bring them to you if you’re in the local area.

In a time like this, families are affected both health-wise and economically. We know as we face this as a nation and world, the economics of pandemics are just as scary as the health…. livelihoods of parents that may have to stay home, concessions workers at our local arena that now won’t have the hours he/she planned for, and restaurant workers whose shifts have been cut.

If you choose to modify your normal routines, we hope you’ll consider your local small businesses as your first option for online purchases or take-out…they are affected by changes in commerce as much as others.

Many of my colleagues (fellow small business owners) in this area have modified their normal store operations to adapt as best they can, to the current environment. This is a team effort, folks, and I’m happy to support any and all.

Visit our friends. These businesses have also taken extra precautions to maintain a healthy environment for guests while still serving the community. After all, we’re all in this together.

Stay healthy, be mindful, please take care of each other.

It’s (not as) simple.