Businesses adjust to outdoor services to stay operating

PLEASURE POINT, Calif. (KION) More indoor services were eliminated in Santa Cruz County this week, as it joined California’s COVID-19 monitoring list.

The county was ordered to close indoor operations at:

• Gyms and fitness centers
• Personal care services
• Places of worship and cultural ceremonies
• Offices for non-critical infrastructure
• Indoor shopping malls
• Hair salons and barbershops

However, businesses affected by the closures can still operate outdoors.

In Pleasure Point, Rocky’s Fitness Center opened stations for workouts in what used to be parking spots.

The owner, Rocky Snyder, figured another shut down was coming and then quickly got a permit to expand onto part of Portola Drive. First thing Tuesday morning the outdoor stations were set up and open for classes.

“I guess with a name like Rocky, you have to dodge the punches, and there’s been a lot of punches thrown at us. So far I haven’t been knocked out,” Snyder said.

When the shelter-in-place began, Snyder started training classes online for his clients, which Rocky's is still doing for free. Later, the fitness center focused on movement workouts moved back indoors with safety protocol. The fitness center only lost about 15% of its business during the shut down.

“We are seeing that our numbers have gone up if not increased slightly from the average, because I think people are just tired of being pent up and sheltered. Here’s an opportunity to move and do something good for their health, their immune system, and their body,” Snyder said.

Down the street, Waves and Fades barbershop opened up an all new outdoor set-up, Wednesday.

“Just trying to do every thing I can to make a mark on history, and make a mark on this community,” owner Elias Campbell said.

The 25-year-old owner, opened the shop three years ago, and was hit with the reality Monday, he'd have to come up with a new way to stay open. So Campbell and his family spent all day Tuesday building an all new outdoor set up in the parking lot.

“My girlfriend went to Home Depot, my dad starting building stuff, and I started making phone calls. It was just a whole team effort. People walking by the shop actually stopped by to help out,” Campbell said.

The barbershop said the biggest challenge will likely be on windy days.

Rocky's Fitness said they've already added six new clients since opening outside, Tuesday.