[vendor] _ Donald Morris _ I still stay current at my two locations in Lincoln Park and one in Evanston, Bennison’s Bakery on Davis Street, after my old location, the movie theater, closed. I have just added Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Michigan Avenue. You follow the rules of the pandemic and hopefully, everybody tries to comply. When I see people not socially distancing themselves, I stay away. I don’t want your COVID-19. I check you out, give you a test to see if you are COVID-ready. Are you distancing, are you wearing a mask? Do you try to be wise with your hands? Or do you place them everywhere, touch something while you’re picking up stuff. I am more of an operational vendor now than I was before. Distancing, staying away from people, not coughing on people. Not taking my mask off too much.
[vendor] _ merv sims _ I changed locations. I went to Division and State streets. It’s more residential, more people. For a while I did both locations. Division and State in the evening and my old location, Franklin and Madison, in the morning. You could look two blocks in all directions and see one person maybe in two blocks. I’ve been there 27 years; I was hoping to see someone that knows me, just to see the spot is still there. Sometimes it was not worth coming at all. I played it by ear. I tried to go to both spots every day, but if I slept too late, I didn’t go to Division and State. Now, in March, I am not going to Division and State anymore. It’s not profitable. There are too many panhandlers on Division and State. Madison and Franklin is starting to pick back up.
[vendor] _ john hicks _ I became a vendor four years ago. I had just moved from St. Louis and was window washing. The Night Ministry told me about StreetWise. I sold at the Starbucks on Randolph and Wabash, by Macy’s and the Brown Line. The first time I sold, I made $100 at Randolph and Wabash. The clientele has fallen. It’s gotten slow. Restaurants have closed. I do windows and instead of coming once a week, they want me to come once a month. Now I sell by Walgreens at Dearborn and Division. Now, downtown is like St. Louis downtown. It’s quiet. Selling in a residential area is better at times but not always.
StreetWise Magazine [vendor _ interview] [PG ___________________________010]
