In n o v a t e o r L iq u id a t e

IN N O V AT E

OR LIQUIDATE

Prince Street Pizza and Pub converted their dining room into a pizza box assembly factory.

There’s nothing like a pandemic to reveal the strengths (or weaknesses) of a business model.

hen the shelter-in-place mandates came down, many Gallatin businesses owners were forced to do a hard pivot. How do you keep your doors open when no one is coming through those doors? How do you adapt?

Gallatin Area Chamber of Commerce business-owner e ers can ans er that uesti n u n ut f the ways of delivering your product or service. Or, you reimagine it altogether.

In this article, we honor the innovation, the grit, the perseverance, and the guts demonstrated by Gallatin Area Chamber of Commerce members when faced with a tough situation: innovate or liquidate. They amazed us with their creativity, and we think you’ll be amazed, too.

R e s ta u r a n t s P iv o t t o C a r r y - O u t

Most of Gallatin’s restaurants took a hit in March and April urin the rst fe ee s f the c r na irus re ate shut n But then, something interesting happened. Some businesses i n t ust sur i e as the ure ut h t na i ate the ne normal. They thrived far beyond anyone’s expectations.

Take Prince Street Pizza and Pub, for instance. With their dining room closed, Prince Street reinvented itself as a carry-outonly business. The owners worked out a system to minimize contact during the pizza pickup process, including delivery to cars, payments taken over the phone, and limiting the number of people inside the store. Sales dipped momentarily and then soared. Staff members who had volunteered to take unemployment were quickly recalled as the to-go orders rolled in. When the state allowed restaurants to reopen at limited capacity, Prince Street Pizza and Pub’s dining room remained closed; their dining room had been repurposed as a pizza box assembly factory.

Starr Ranch is another good example. With their dining room forced to shutter, they shifted to carry-out orders and began serving food out their front window. Their large dining rooms became staging areas for pickup orders, and the large windows facing the street became billboards. Employees wrote, “Call in t r ers in u rescent ar ers n the in s an business took off. Order pickup happened at the window, with customers ringing a bell to alert the staff they were there. The dining room remained a to-go order staging area for many weeks after the stay-at-home orders were lifted.

The inn ati n i n t st there hic a e t ent parking spots for curbside pickup, doubled the size of their drive-through line, and added an overhang for order-takers.

We honor the innovation, the grit, the perseverance, and the guts demonstrated by Gallatin Chamber members faced with a tough situation: innovate or liquidate. They amazed us with their creativity.

Swaney Swift’s on the Square pivoted to a curbside pickup model during the pandemic.

Cracker Barrel set up a tent in the parking lot for to-go orders. e en restaurants ene their rs f r the rst ti e urin the pandemic: DosBros, Marco's Pizza, Nutrition Nook, Esperanza Nutrition, a second Black Press Coffee Shop location, Fairvue Pizza and Pub, and Grant's Kitchen, and all have been very successful.

R e t a il R e in v e n t s It s e l f O n l in e

Some businesses were ahead of the game without even knowing it. Take Sassy and Brassy, for instance. This women’s boutique on Gallatin’s historic square started as a home-based business that relied on Facebook Live events to generate sales. By the time their brick-and-mortar shop opened on the square, they were already seasoned e-tailers comfortable with promoting their merchandise on Facebook Live events and taking orders online. When COVID-19 hit and their store was forced to close, they simply fell back on a marketing tactic that had served them well since the beginning. Not only did they keep most of their existing clientele and attract new customers, they taught several of their fellow retailers how to implement the online sales model for themselves, with great success.

C h u r c h e s T a k e S e r v ic e s in t o t h e C lo u d

Most houses of worship were quickly able to adapt to the new reality.

After Gallatin First United Methodist Church had to pause gathering in their historic sanctuary, they brought the cameras to deliver the worship experience to their members. In July and August, the congregation gathered outside for socially distanced but meaningful modern worship at Douglass Chapel on Long Hollow Pike. Freedom Church shot, pre-recorded,

I N N O V A T E O R L I Q U I D A T E Gallatin First United Methodist Church held outdoor services

Sassy and Brassy Boutique leveraged an already-successful online business model to weather the pandemic

and produced services through their in-house production their i eas an n ut hat the nee e ri ht n ecause team and aired them through premieres on Facebook and nobody knew what the new normal was going to look like.” YouTube. In addition to broadcasting services online, First A few days later, Kim had 30 members in a room, talking Presbyterian Church in Gallatin hosted about things that they were already a “peek-a-boo” party in the parking lot “This crisis was a great thinking about. And it helped us start where parishioners gathered in a parking opportunity for the Gallatin the conversation with other businesses lot to sing hymns and say prayers. First Area Chamber to live out its like them. Baptist Gallatin produced live-video services and held a "Drive Thru" Service where people participated in Community Service (donating non-perishable items to the community), Back-To-School mission by uniting, inspiring, guiding, supporting, and connecting member companies. I’m delighted to say that our Kim and her staff continued offering support, starting email threads and a closed Facebook group for the various member categories, including retail, Supply Giveaway, Communion, and Chamber rose to the occasion.” churches, restaurants, and others a quick Message from the Pastor for to support business owners as they every car that came through without ever leaving their cars. considered adjusting their business models in light of the new Rehoboth United Methodist Church started out by doing live environment. She brought in insurance agents who could services with a bare-bones staff in the church to pre-recorded help answer questions about liability issues. Her proactive services, then transitioned to socially distanced indoor services approach helped member businesses start thinking outside when restriction eased. the box before it was too late.

G a l l a t in C h a m b e r : L e a d in g t h e W a y

The pandemic was also an opportunity for the Chamber to demonstrate its true value. If ever there was a time that the business community needed support, the pandemic was it.

“I'm on calls regularly with other chambers and other leaders across the country, and by the second week in March, it was clear that we needed to do something to help our member businesses, so we launched the Small Business Task Force,” said Kim Baker. “I wanted to get my best and brightest around the table, a few members from each sector who had already ure ut h t rein ent the se es ante t hear Between that second week in March and May 1, the Chamber staff started calling members to check on them. Kim gave each of her employees about 100 names and numbers and gave them two weeks to call everyone. During the calls, Chamber staff asked member businesses set questions and recorded their answers on a spreadsheet so they could capture themes and trends and share best practices with other members. The support proved invaluable to members businesses.

“This crisis was a great opportunity for the Gallatin Area Chamber to live out its mission by uniting, inspiring, guiding, supporting, and connecting member companies,” Kim added. “I’m delighted to say that our Chamber rose to the occasion.” §

"When in-person Jazzercise classes were suspended due to COVID-19, we offered virtual classes in a closed Facebook group via Facebook Live. The shift to online classes was complicated by the fact that we had to negotiate permission to use the music in the online classes, but we were able to work it out. Classes continue to be offered in person and virtually."

- DEBBY HADDOCK, INSTRUCTOR JAZZERCISE

hen e ene e i ite e er ti es t t ust e people so that there are fewer people on the dock at one time. Having fewer people per class has had some une ecte siti e ene ts inc u in er stress an a more laid-back vibe. Everyone has liked the change, so we are planning to continue with smaller groups."

- MEGAN WAGE, OWNER NASHVILLE SUP & YOGA

"Before non-essential businesses were forced to close, I started shooting videos of every Iron Lotus class, uploading them to YouTube, and sending links to members. By the time the shutdown happened, everyone was comfortable with the online class format. We offered classes on Zoom and Facebook Live, and kept everyone connected with a private Facebook group where members posted their home workouts, shared recipes, and stayed engaged. I reached out to each member daily with text messages to offer encouragement and motivation. When Iron Lotus re-opened, we were able to retain almost all our clients."

- SANDY HUGHES, OWNER IRON LOTUS GYM

W A T C H T H E C H A M B E R S T A F F G E T A W O R K O U T !

The Gallatin Chamber visited CrossFit Gallatin/TerraForm Strength and Conditioning to earn hat it ta es t et t in a CrossFit gym. Check it out!

Megan Wage, Owner, Nashville SUP & Yoga

Sandy Hughes, Owner, Iron Lotus Gym