Mom-and-pops feeling economic crunch

STAFFORD — “Eat here or we’ll both starve,” reads a sign at County Fare, a restaurant located in North Stafford.

It may be a tongue-in-cheek way to advertise a business, but owner Eric Green, a retired Marine officer, is serious.

“I’m just trying to survive. I can’t raise my prices or nobody will come in,” said Green, who co-owns the establishment with his wife, Lizann Green.

“Mom and pop” businesses like the Greens’ are feeling the pinch of a struggling economy. Gone are King Street Blues, Virginia Barbeque, Mad Moose, and Amici’s, all privately-owned restaurants.

Competing with chain restaurants like Chili’s, Outback Steakhouse or Bob Evans is no easy task.

“They get a tremendous discount on food,” said Green, who noted he makes his food from scratch.

“And then they hit us with something new,” he said. “They raise the minimum wage. There’s payroll taxes. Now there’s BPOL.”

Further, he said when travelers pull off the interstate, they go for the chain restaurants — the names with widespread recognition. Still, response to his sign has been positive. People see it and their curiosity is piqued. It lets them know that a restaurant is there.

“We are getting more business,” he said.

Personnel from the newly opened Stafford Medical Center frequent the business.

“The School Board has been very supportive, also,” he stated, referring to personnel from the Alvin Bandy Administrative Complex next door.

Nevertheless, County Fare struggles.

“If there is one more downturn, we won’t make it,” he said.

Amy Johnson, sole owner of Amy’s Café in Falmouth, is experiencing similar difficulties.

She has outlasted any restaurant occupying the building prior to hers, but still struggles.

“I’ve been open two years, two months and 16 days,” she said.

She is optimistic as warm weather approaches.

“We can serve on the porch and we’ll have ‘Crabby Saturdays’ with acoustic music,” she said.

She offers on- and off-site catering. That facet of the business is slow, but is picking up through word of mouth.

The restaurant has a loyal following and she is dependent on return business.

Even so, she has had to cut back on hours. On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, she closes at 3 p.m. but has extended Sunday hours to 7 p.m. Gas bills have increased 35 percent and electricity 18 percent. She calls the BPOL tax “unfair.” She is meeting her business bills, she said, but household bills are lagging.

“The next step is for me to go into the kitchen and cook full time,” she said.

The Gentlemen 3 is in a different situation. The self described “soul food” restaurant located at 260 Warrenton Road opened in January of this year, so just how the economy affects the business is uncertain.

Business is “up and down,” said owner Bernard Northran.

“The economy is like the weather. When it’s sunny and bright and people are joyful, business is up. When it’s cold and rainy, it’s down.”

It is Northran’s first restaurant venture, and despite the economy, he is optimistic.

“The economic crunch affects everybody, so to get in on the low side means when the economy rebounds I’ll be able to ride the way to success,” he said.

Jim Lawrence is a contributing writer to the Stafford County Sun. Reach him at info@staffordcountysun.com.