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Haircuts Go Underground, While Safe Barbershops May Go Broke, Says @FuzeBarberShop Owner Tosti

Haircuts Go Underground, While Safe Barbershops May Go Broke, Says @FuzeBarberShop Owner Tosti | Newtown News of Interest | Scoop.it

The owner of a popular Newtown barbershop said the coronavirus closures are severely impacting his business, and he fears he'll have to close permanently if the state won't soon approve guidance to allow them to safely reopen.

 

Fuze owner Nick Tosti told Patch he's worried the business won't make it if the closures extend through the summer.

 

Fuze, located in the Village at Newtown Shopping Center, still must pay rent, despite not having a single customer since mid-March. He said the landlord will defer payments to be paid back later in the year, but he's hesitant to take on more debt only to return in an unpredictable atmosphere.

 

"If it stays the way it is, we could be looking at July or August" for a reopening, Tosti said. "We would be finished by then. I just don't know how we could recover from all the back debt."

 

Tosti and other industry leaders are pushing for salons and barbershops to be reopened under the "yellow" phase of the governor's coronavirus mitigation plan, "which we feel is totally responsible and safe."

 

He said he and other salon owners have been communicating with state officials to push for measures they believe will safeguard the public health, while allowing them to operate.

 

At Fuze, here's what you can expect [if, and when, it reopens]:

 

  • For one, there won't be a waiting room. All services will be by appointment-only, and the door will remain locked. When customers arrive for an appointment, they'll be permitted inside once the stylist is ready for them.

 

  • All customers will have their temperature taken at the door, Tosti said. Plus, all customers will have to use the provided hand sanitizer.

 

  • Capacity will be reduced, and all stylists will be wearing masks. Customers will be wearing masks, too, Tosti said. (The mask may have to be briefly removed when the barber is cutting certain parts of the head or around the ears, he acknowledged.)

 

  • All chairs and tools will be sanitized between each customer.

 

"We want to everyone to be safe. We're not trying to put anyone in a situation where we're opening up too soon," he said. But, he added, it seems time for a reopening with specific safety guidelines in place.

 

"Underground cuts are happening everywhere," Tosti said. "Is it safer for me to do this in someone's kitchen or at my barbershop?"

johnmacknewtown's insight:

The question is will the barbers be tested for coronavirus before resuming work and periodically while working?

 

Consider that an upstate New York barber who cut hair over the last few weeks despite the state’s coronavirus restrictions has reportedly tested positive for the illness. County health officials are recommending anyone who received a haircut at the shop during this period to get tested for the coronavirus.

 

Over 20 Newtown area retail businesses and restaurants that are open for limited business now have signed on to participate in Newtown BINGO!, which is a contest designed to help these establishments attract customers. Learn more about that and sign up to participate here: https://newtownbingo.com/

 

During the May 13, 2020, Newtown Board of Supervisors meeting via Zoom, Supervisor John Mack made a case for the Township to start thinking how it can help local businesses to re-open safely during the current and the next phases of COVID-19 restrictions. Several ideas were put forward such as rethinking the Finance Committee's purview, putting together an ad hoc business Task Force, etc. Listen to this podcast: “Getting Newtown Businesses Open Again”; https://johnmacknewtown.info/covidvbus.html

 

Meanwhile, Newtown Township is planning to open summer camps. How comfortable would you be sending your child/children to summer camp? Take my survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CLYN77J

 

Related:

  • “Some PA Counties in "Red" Zone Plan to Encourage Businesses to Reopen in Defiance of Gov. Wolf's Mitigation Strategy.”; http://sco.lt/5WFeYC
  • “Bucks County Commissioners Demand State Move Bucks Into “Yellow” COVID-19 Reopen Phase Sooner Rather Than Later”; http://sco.lt/88g3dY
  • “Newtown Twp Moving Forward With Summer Camp Plans”; http://sco.lt/6gNAxs
  • “To Reopen Local Businesses, Townships Must Develop Guidelines to Ensure Citizens are Safe. CASE STUDY: Middletown & Sesame Place”; http://sco.lt/5n5C5Y
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Newtown News of Interest
These Scoops are excerpts from articles published in local newspapers and other sources that may be of interest to Newtown area residents. Please click on the "From" link to access the full original article. Any opinions and "insights" appended to these article summaries are solely those of John Mack and do not represent the opinions of any other person or entity.
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