Effects from shutdown felt by small business owners in Augusta | The Augusta Chronicle

When Maninder Singh looks out the window of his Beech Island convenience store each morning, he sees the dwindling traffic since the federal government shutdown.

Manis Mart owner Maninder Singh said about 50 percent of his customer base is made up of Savannah River Site workers. Since the shutdown, he’s seen at least a 20 percent drop in business from customers who stop at his store to buy gas, coffee, food, etc, on their way to and from work.

“Normally this road is very busy in the morning from 4 o’clock until 5:30 or 6 o’clock,” Singh said, motioning toward Sand Bar Ferry Road, a thoroughfare for many Savannah River Site commuters. “It’s hard for you to make a turn out, and that same thing happened in the evening from 4 to 6. (Now) it gets slower and slower day by day.”

Workers at SRS have been among the hardest hit by the partial U.S. government shutdown, which entered its 14th day Monday. On Oct. 3, the liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation furloughed about 1,400 workers, and announcements were made last week that the site’s security contractor, Wackenhut Services Inc., furloughed 270 workers.

The economic hardships also have trickled down progressively to small businesses that cater to the SRS workforce.

For seven years, Singh’s Manis Mart has been a popular spot for SRS workers stopping by in the mornings to fill up on gas, buy a cup of coffee or grab a quick breakfast item to go. In the evenings, Singh rings up beer and liquor purchases, lottery tickets and other sales.

He has watched business slide by at least 20 percent since Oct. 1.

“It’s everywhere,” Singh said. “It’s not only my store. It’s the same thing for everybody.”

Customer morale and sales aren’t much better at Flowers Cafe in New Ellenton, a small Aiken County town whose economic fortunes are intertwined with SRS.

Owner Paulette Flowers opened the restaurant just five months ago to a crowd that travels from nearby SRS on their lunch break.

Three weeks ago, Flowers said, she averaged about 60 diners. As of last week, that number had dropped to 15 customers.

via Effects from shutdown felt by small business owners in Augusta | The Augusta Chronicle.