New Store Pickup
Now Available: Monday - Saturday from 11AM-4PM
Currently, we are still asking customers to call when they arrive with their order number, and stand back at least 6’ so we can place your bag outside. However, hopefully within the next week, we’ll have a space dedicated for pickups just inside the door but the rest of the store will remain blocked off.
A Note About Our Reopening
With the expectation that retail is opening I felt that it was important to issue an update. We will not be reopening on May 12th. We are hoping to get back to some limited form of operation by June, meaning very restricted capacity or appointments, but this decision will be guided by how transmission rates move in the weeks following the state-sanctioned reopening. I know this will be a disappointment to some people hoping to return to the Short North for a taste of normalcy and expecting us to be a part of that.
The truth of the matter is, no matter how many measures we put in place we do not currently feel confident that we can keep our community, employees, and customers safe while returning to any semblance of ordinary operations. There are simply still too many unknowns about this virus for us to be comfortable. We understand there will be some level of risk for some time to come, and we must all adjust to this. As testing becomes more widely available and contact tracing a reality, at least that risk can be better managed.Will this cost us our business? I sure hope not but... maybe. It is a risk we are willing to take to keep everyone safe, and because “all altruism is inherently selfish,” I will admit that keeping myself safe is part of that calculation. I will also admit the immense privilege I hold by being in a position to make this choice and acknowledge that not every business or person is in such a position. I feel like we are doing our part by lessening the burden and remaining closed while understanding that many cannot do so. We are not passing judgement on businesses following the guidelines and opening, it’s just not right for us.
With all of your support we’ve been able to transition to in-store pickup and e-commerce and are looking to add local delivery. To be honest we never before believed we could translate what we love about retail online. I am hesitant to say there is a silver lining with so much anxiety and pain right now but this has accelerated a transition we likely needed to make regardless, to remain viable for where this industry is heading. As Niki said in her Cub Shrub post about the same matter, while we are not thriving as we once were, we are surviving and that is thanks to all of you.
On behalf of our entire team, thank you and keep looking out for one another.
Josh Quinn
Co-founder / Operator