LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Federal stimulus checks will offer some relief to Michiganders in the coming weeks, but some in the retail industry say the checks may not be enough to help.
"We're hearing a lot of stories about hardship," says Meegan Holland, Vice President of Communications and Marketing for the Michigan Retailers Association. "People have rent to pay, they have mortgage, they have utilities. Not to mention putting food on the table."
The places providing that food are doing what they can to adapt. The co-owner of Saddleback Barbecue says the stay-home order has effectively canceled dine-in and catering, but it hasn't stopped business entirely.
"We had to immediately pivot to doing everything in takeout, online ordering and delivery," Travis Stoliker says, "and that was probably the biggest change there."
Some suppliers, like Jacob Farley of Circle F Ranch, say business has actually picked up in recent weeks.
Regardless of the executive orders, these and other local businesses are looking for community support during the stay home order — by looking for those online or delivery options or checking social media for places that are open. And when the economy opens again, they look forward to returning the favor.
"It's really great, if you can, to support a locally-owned restaurant because we're a part of the community and the community is really important to us," Stoliker says. "And we reinvest right back into the community."