Pandemic causes mom and pop bakery to close

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    MADISON, Miss. (WAPT) — Small businesses continue to feel the impact of COVID-19, forcing to limit hours or close down.

One local bakery has been forced to close down one of its locations after a slow year of business.

Mitchell Moore is the owner of Campbell’s Bakery and is coming in after hours by himself. He said his business is now in survival mode.

Moore and his wife bought the bakery 10 years ago and expanded the original 58-year old store into a second location in Madison.

The store in Madison is now being forced to close due to a nearly 60% drop in sales for 2020.

Moore also has lost nearly his entire staff.

“Before COVID-19, I had 20 workers. As of Monday, I will now have 4,” Moore said.

Campbell’s Bakery is just one example of the hardships small businesses are facing.

The holiday season is their biggest money maker, but as new cases and hospitalizations trend to an all-time high, business has reached a new low.

“It really breaks my heart to hear that these kinds of places are struggling so much without the kind of help they need,” customer Sebastian Murdoch said.

“Walmart is going to be fine. Target is going to exist. These are not going away, but your mom and pop stores may not make it,” Miranda Ray said.

What is often overlooked when businesses struggle is employees losing their jobs.

“Thinking of people who haven’t done anything wrong and you have to tell them we can’t afford to pay you, so you’ve got to find another job. That’s tough,” Moore said.

Moore said even though this year has been challenging, he will do whatever it takes to keep his store open for another decade.

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