MABOU: One of the owners of a grocery store serving central Inverness County says he is proud to provide a much-needed service to the community.
As part of Advocate Media’s “Shine On” campaign, highlighting local businesses which have gone above and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic, Joy O’Brien nominated the Mabou Freshmart, calling it the “cleanest, friendliest place to shop. If you can’t find something in the store, [you] just have to ask the manager and he will order it up. They went above and beyond during COVID-19.”
The winner of the “Shine On” campaign will receive an advertising package valued at $3,000 and the chance to be highlighted in Advocate Media’s publications in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. To nominate a business, go to: http://prwpuploads.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/shine-on/.
Wayne Beaton, who co-owns the Mabou Freshmart with his wife Karen, said things have ramped up since Nova Scotia entered a state of emergency in mid-March.
“It’s a lot busier than what it was before,” Beaton told The Reporter. “You’re constantly going seven days a week. It could be worse, when you look at a lot of the restaurants that have nothing at all. We’re fortunate on that end, that we can keep our employees working.”
To combat this hectic schedule, Beaton said they are careful to provide staff with time-off, and although he is working flat-out, he tries to grab a few hours every day for himself.
And while there is currently a lot of activity, Beaton expects there will be a down-turn in the summer, which could impact the bottom line later in the year.
“We take when we can get it, because the summer time is not going to be as busy as it normally is,” Beaton said. “The summer is the cream of the crop for most business in the countryside.
“Without that big jump in the summer, it affects your winter run.”
To work within public health protocols established by the provincial government, as well as Loblaws, Beaton said, they’ve relied on on-line orders and delivery.
“We just followed those guidelines as well, and at the same time, we get [customers] to e-mail their grocery orders in, and someone comes to pick them up curbside, and the other ones, I deliver.”
To help out, Beaton has been doing deliveries up to Inverness, over to Whycocomagh, and down to Port Hood.
“The customers know me and if you hire someone to start delivering for you, then they need to try and build up a comfort zone with them,” Beaton explained. “They know my face.”
Within the store, shields were put up around the check-outs, and to maintain six feet of distance between customers and staff, decals were put on the floor, Beaton said. Also, between the hours of 7-9 a.m. the store is open for seniors and others who feel uncomfortable shopping during more busy hours.
“Overall, I found the customers have been very good as far as keeping the distance,” Beaton noted. “Overall, we found that with the flow that we had in the store, we found that we never had an issue at all.”
Taking these precautions wasn’t just about maintaining business activity, Beaton said, but also keeping staff safe and healthy.
“We were concerned with the virus coming around because if it came and one of us got it, you know what, we’d have to shut down,” Beaton said.
Without a fully functioning grocery store in the middle of Inverness County, Beaton added immediate access to the food supply would have been compromised for many people who would’ve then been forced to travel to larger centres.
“We appreciate the customers that we have, they’ve handled themselves well within the community through the whole nine yards,” Beaton added.