LEXINGTON, Va. – A small business in downtown Lexington is hoping this St. Patrick’s Day brings them some much-needed luck. Hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, they’ve found unique ways to turn things around.
“St. Patrick’s Day traditionally for us has marked the beginning of our busy season,” explained Celtic Tides owner John Morman.
The holiday in 2020 marked the beginning of the end with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We normally would participate in about 25 festivals a year. Last year, of course, we had two,” stated John.
60% of their revenue comes from the store, while the other 40% comes from festivals.
This year, the holiday is a marker of hope for the small shop that knows how special St. Patrick’s Day really is.
“When I was growing up it was a religious holiday. It was a day you went to church. Kind of like a Sunday afternoon. Nowadays they are a little bit Americanized. We have parades. We have green beer,” explained owner Mary Jo Morman.
As places start to reopen, the couple is hoping to find their pot of gold.
“We’ve been very, very lucky!” said John.
Through creative measures, optimism and the discovery of business resources, they’ve been able to keep their doors open. Some of those resources they’re sharing with other businesses.
Mr. Morman serves on the National Retail Federations Small Business Council.
“It’s very interesting seeing the different perspectives that people bring. They all come from different states, so everybody is facing different challenges,” said John.
He and his wife continue to beat the odds.
They call it a hard day’s work. Others may call it the luck of the Irish.