OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio — The snow that fell Sunday into Monday was the kind that kids dream of, but businesses not so much. Some are opting to close through the storm, while others, like Twin Bean Cafe in Olmsted Falls, are deciding to stay open through it all.
"I think you got to tough it out, if you're a business in Ohio, you've got to tough it out," said cafe owner Julia George.
"We were open yesterday, and we were like, 'let's just tough it out and see what we get.' We got a group of people in, and they were like hey thanks for opening, so that was nice," she said.
The cafe only opened its doors in September, but has developed a loyal following in that time. Knowing that they can be counted on by customers, George said, was part of her decision to stay open.
"Just to be consistent, so people, when they know you're open, they know you're a business that's always going to be open no matter what. I think they respect that and they come, they support."
The Grand Pacific Popcorn shop down the street was also open this day. Not a surprise said owner Jeff Marshall. "We're only closed five days a year."
So it takes a little more than a foot of snow to fully shut the place down. He, too, believes it's important to be there for his customers.
"We're kind of partially closed, most of the staff is home, but I came in because we do have people that show up no matter what," Marshall said. "When they're counting on you for something, maybe they've got a party or an event, or with the kids all being home, so special snacks for the kids, we're here to take care of them.
He takes advantage of the slow time to catch up on other work and do some cleaning while he was waiting on supplies he had ordered to be delivered. Amazon said the weather forced it to shut down its Euclid Fulfillment Center on Sunday, reopening on Monday. If you're like Marshall waiting for packages, Amazon Spokesperson Richard Rocha said the key is to download the Amazon app.
"They'll get information about updates to expected delivery time ... on the app so they can see exactly when their packages might arrive," Rocha said.
"We're always making sure that we're prioritizing the safety of our employees and the partners that we work with who deliver packages to customers. Amazon has a team of meteorologists who work around the clock and ahead of time to make sure these sites have all of the information they need so they can make the appropriate decisions about how to safe, when to halt operations and then when to resume them."
Oh, and there's something you can do for them, for your local letter carrier and anyone else who delivers to your home.
"If you can make sure that your sidewalks are clear of ice and snow as much as possible, that's very helpful to make sure that they stay safe delivering to our customers," Rocha said.
