When COVID-19 first hit the Sioux Falls area, many businesses made the decision to close their doors in order to protect their staff and customers. After temporarily closing in the middle of March, Sioux Falls local favorite, Josiah’s Coffeehouse and Café, has reopened.

Local businesses rely on a steady stream of customers to keep their revenue flowing and businesses open. Without the flow of people, many businesses had to close their doors. 

“We had to close our doors around mid-March because there wasn’t enough traffic in the downtown area for us to be open, even for to-go orders,” said Kibbie McCormick, the new owner of Josiah’s Coffeehouse and Café. “This really hurt us financially.”

As Josiah’s has started to reopen, they have taken many steps to ensure the safety of their staff and customers.

“We have cloth masks that employees can have to take home and wash and we have disposable ones too,” said McCormick. “We have also put hand sanitizer throughout the restaurant for them to also use as often as they need. We have modified seating so people can only sit in groups of 6 and the tables are set up at least 6 feet apart. We have put notes on the doors and throughout the restaurant asking that customers practice social distancing and [to] not move the tables.”

According to Main Street America, many small businesses have had financial stress due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, this Sioux Falls favorite was not immune to the negative impacts of COVID-19.

“I knew it would be slow starting but I didn’t expect it to be quite this slow,” said McCormick. “Currently we are at about 40% of what we usually are, so not having that extra revenue significantly hurts us.”

Josiah’s has reduced their hours slightly. They will now be open from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. They are still offering their whole menu to customers (yes, you can still get those amazing pop tarts) as well as offering options for to-go orders and curbside delivery.

With the community slowly beginning to reopen, people are excited to be out and about while also protecting themselves and others. Supporting our community is crucial during this time. 

“People have been very excited for us to be open again, as we have many ‘regulars’ that live in the downtown area that enjoy coming in daily,” said McCormick.

104 West 12th Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57104

josiahscoffee.com

(605) 759-8255