A water outage this week forced many Winston-Salem businesses to close or limit their service.
Jay Pierce is the chef at Betty on Burke and Mozelle’s in Winston-Salem’s West End. On Wednesday, he noticed some problems with water pressure. But it wasn’t just him. A water main break caused issues for around half of Forsyth County, including small businesses.
Officials advised boiling water before drinking, making ice, washing dishes and preparing food.
“We ended up canceling four meal periods at each restaurant," Pierce said. "I think safety of the community is paramount. Safety of our staff. You need clean water to provide safe food.”
While public health officials gave guidelines for businesses to stay open, many chose to close until the advisory was lifted. Mission Pizza Napoletana was one of them. But owner Peyton Smith says being closed for two days can have a big impact.
“People that rely on tips, that revenue doesn't come in. Next week's invoices very often are paid with this week's revenue. So picking up those shortfalls is pretty stressful to your average small business.”
Acadia Foods on the southside of town reopened when water service was restored. While owner Jon Engel says it might take them a bit to recover, he says they’re grateful to be back.