Good for some, not so good for others.
That’s the effect of the snow and ice on area businesses.
Downtown Tacoma hotels were full Thursday, most waterfront restaurants were closed and one collision-repair shop was bracing for what was to come.
Here’s a random and unscientific survey of what the January Freeze meant to businesses hereabouts.
• “The majority of our branches are closing at 3 p.m. because of the weather,” said JoAnne Coy, spokeswoman for Tacoma’s Columbia Bank. Along with the early closure, some branches closed earlier because of power outages.
The news was similar at Umpqua Bank, where spokeswoman Whitney True said most Pierce County branches would close early “to allow our associates to get home safely before the ice and roads get any worse.”
• At Kay Parks/Dan Meyer Auto Rebuild, a well-known Tacoma collision-repair service, operations manager Bruce Fraser said his shop was full, and he expected a 30-60 percent increase in business soon.
“It usually takes about a week,” he said. “We’re expecting a lot. The phone’s been burning up.”
• At Seattle-based Pemco Insurance, spokesman Jon Osterberg said auto claims were so far “relatively light,” but the volume of property claims was “above average. We’re getting more homeowners claims.”
• Eight Fred Meyer stores in the South Puget Sound were without power, said spokeswoman Amanda Ip.
“We’re sending up generators,” she said. “The stores will remain open, but there will be no refrigerated items. Everything should be up by 5 p.m.”
• At the Spar in Tacoma’s Old Town, lead bartender Bob Anderson said business “was a little slower earlier today, but it’s starting to pick up. Yesterday it was as busy as can be.”
On Wednesday, he said, customers were arriving on skis and snowboards.
He noted that several people had called to ask if the tavern and cafe was open – saying most Ruston Way waterfront eateries were closed.
One of the few that remained open through the early evening was Katie Downs, where kitchen manager Tom Devereaux said, “The roads aren’t that bad. There just aren’t that many people down here.”
• If they weren’t at the waterfront, then they were at a downtown hotel.
Stan Kott, general manager at Hotel Murano, said, “There’s been a marked impact on our business. Last night and today, we’re seeing a lot of people who lost power or who have come from other hotels that don’t have power. I’m confident we’ll sell out. That’s unusual for January.”
Some 30 Murano employees, he said, volunteered to stay at the hotel – to work and spend the night – rather than risk traveling home.
At the Courtyard by Marriott, night auditor Christopher Koch said, “We are extremely busy and completely full.”
• Stores closed a few hours early on Thursday, at 6 p.m., at Tacoma Mall. Spokesman Matthew Robinson said the mall would reopen today at the regular time, 10 a.m.
At South Tacoma’s B&I Marketplace, about 20 percent of the individually managed stores were closed, said site manager Mike Yun.
At Mikey’s Funland arcade at the B&I, owner Mike Barton said business was light, but several weekend regulars did drop in.
“For some families,” he said, “it’s curly fries and a corn dog.”
C.R. Roberts: 253-597-8535 c.r.roberts@thenewstribune.com
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