Small businesses in county report down year
For some small businesses in Butler County, 2024 has been a difficult year, and Small Business Saturday — observed each year on the day after Black Friday — didn’t provide the boost they hoped for.
Some, such as the managers of Totalus Cafe and Keffalas Designs, have taken to social media to plead with the public for their support during this holiday season.
Kayla Fleming, manager of Totalus Cafe on East Jefferson Street, wrote a message on Facebook last week that said her business has experienced a “steady” drop in sales since July, including “a devastating 77% decrease on Small Business Saturday alone.” She wrote that she is seeking remedies such as grants and small business loans to keep the cafe afloat.
Fleming said inflation is a large part of the reason for her business’s current struggles, in more ways than one.
“Rising ingredient costs have forced us to maintain steady prices while navigating waste reduction and cost-cutting measures,” Fleming said. “This has led to difficult decisions, such as choosing between paying bills and restocking inventory. Consequently, consumers are reducing discretionary spending, which unfortunately includes expenditures on small businesses.”
Totalus, a Harry Potter-themed cafe that serves bubble tea and baked goods, reported a “modest turnout” for Small Business Saturday. Fleming said business this year has fallen by 12% compared to last year.
“While not appearing to be an extreme decline, (it) actually represents a significant impact when taking into account the rising cost of living and the high interest rates on our credit cards,” Fleming said.
Totalus is far from alone in struggling to make ends meet. Tiffany Keffalas, manager of Keffalas Designs on Pittsburgh Road, posted a letter to the business Facebook page warning she may not be able to keep the store open for much longer due to a decline in sales over the past year.
“Unfortunately, the numbers we were hoping to hit and needed to hit did not happen,” Keffalas wrote. “I know it’s been an extremely long and hard year financially for most, and at this point Michael and I are unfortunately looking at what makes the most sense financially for our family. And continuing to pour our own personal funds into the shop is just not something we can continue to do just to keep our doors open.”
Keffalas told the Butler Eagle that sales on this year’s Small Business Saturday declined 60% compared to last year, and that she and her husband are “looking at all of (their) options.” Her husband, Michael Beamer, has had to step away from working full-time at the shop and has opened his own electrical business.
“I've been hearing from many business owners through word of mouth that numbers are lower, costs are higher, and its just a struggle to convince people to go out of their way to shop small,” Keffalas said. “The consumer just doesn't have the additional funds to spend on buying this year. Costs of necessities are increasing year after year and people just don't have as much disposable income.”
Some businesses in the county have already succumbed to the pressure.
In November, citing inflation and rising costs, Shepherd’s Coffee shuttered its location on Route 8 in Butler, only leaving open its location within Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market in Saxonburg.
Shepherd’s manager Casey Cupp partially blames the closure of the Butler location on the location itself.
“It was in a good position for local people who knew where we were, but not so much people just driving by. It was kind of hard to see,” Cupp said. “So we think that maybe hurt business a little bit. And there was also just the cost of inflation. So she just decided to downsize and stick to one location.”
While Downtown Bagel House on North Main Street is still open as of early December, the managers have voiced concerns about the rising costs of ingredients such as cream cheese. The business has also dealt with safety issues regarding their building.
“Business is hard for everyone right now,” said manager Kayla Yepez. “The current issue we are facing is parking. I believe if there was more parking on the north side of Main Street, it would attract more business. Then again, there are days where Main Street is completely dead on our side.”
Jordan Grady, president of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, has also noticed a downturn in business this year on Butler’s Main Street.
“This may be one of the toughest times in history to own and operate a small business,” Grady said. “Families are increasingly forced to choose between essential needs like fuel and food, leaving little room for discretionary spending.”
For some, this holiday season represents a last chance in 2024 to make ends meet. Fleming touted the Totalus Cafe’s upcoming collaboration with the Hobnob Theatre, as well as its third annual Christmas Sleigh Crawl coming up on Saturday, Dec. 14.
“The small businesses of Butler have such passion for our community,” Fleming said. “Seeing so many struggle and some even close is heartbreaking, but we remain committed to our mission and will continue to thrive for as long as we can.”
“No one quite understands the desperation of seeing a Walmart or Target store filled to the brim with customers with long checkout lines and baskets full, and then see their own empty store on what is supposed to be the busiest shopping day of the year for small business, as a fellow small business owner would,” Keffalas said. “It's honestly heartbreaking.”
