Back Bay Shops Lose Business After Blackout
BOSTON (CBS) - Thousands of people are still in the dark after Tuesday's fire and subsequent power outage. Among those affected are the businesses that can't serve their customers.
"We just can't make the money and no one is going to come in and we don't have the business," says Jessica Tirado as she was locking up Soo Dee, a clothing store on Newbury Street. She opened before 11 o'clock Wednesday morning but not one customer walked through the door in more than two hours.
Across the street at Pappa Razzi's, the cooks and servers resorted to playing on their phones as they waited for the power and the work to return.
Stephanie's on Newbury, which is usually bustling with a lunch crowd was quiet. Workers there took advantage by cleaning out the kitchen. Leo Fonseca, the restaurant's director of operations was hoping to be open for dinner.
The businesses who stayed open did not fare any better. Virgil Aiello, owner of DeLuca's Market, was forced to ship his perishables to a refrigerated warehouse. Everything else is on ice and because the credit card machines are down, he could only take customers who were paying cash.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Mark Katic reports
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WBZ-TV's Bill Shields reports on how residents are coping
"It's closing us down essentially," said Aiello. "I'd say 99.9%. None of our electricity is on including our cash registers."
The city is also making sure all the food remains safe during the blackout. The Inspectional Services Department is sending crews out to check up on affected stores and restaurants.
