‘We are still here’

Posted on April 3, 2020

Editor’s Note: As of presstime Thursday, Taylor County was still listed as one of nine Florida counties with no reported cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19). However, that doesn’t mean that the effects of the pandemic have not already started taking a toll locally. In the coming days, we will be sharing the pandemic’s local impact through a series of interviews from all segments of the community – business, faith, educational, health and personal.

Ware Oil & Supply Company keeps gas in your tank and food in your belly through its network of convenience stores, restaurants and marketplaces.

Debbie Jewels Gift Boutique specializes in unique gifts that are often as functional as they are stylish.

Today finds the owners of both businesses working hard to get the same message out to their customers – “We are still here.”

With COVID-19 changing the world seemingly overnight, these local businesses, like so many others, are navigating the ever-changing government orders handed down.

Ware Oil’s Don Everett Jr. says his company is doing everything possible to avoid any lay-offs, including shifting employees from one business to another.

Everett, who serves as president of Ware Oil & Supply Co., the Perry-based gasoline and oil distributer that also operates Huddle House restaurant and Maddie’s Market in Steinhatchee, says his focus has been on taking care of local workers and customers.

“The first week after the news hit there was panic buying, so we held back some products and meat so we could stock back up Monday morning for our locals,” he said.

“We were intentionally not stocking the shelves full to prevent any hoarding, but to my knowledge no one went without what they really needed,” Everett added.

“Some people took some photos of shelves that were empty that Sunday afternoon, but we had products in the back that we stocked that evening so our locals had supplies Monday morning,” he added.

“The WCTV reporter came down and filmed the bread racks and produce area, which were both full, and the fact we had toilet paper. We even lowered the gas prices 10 cents from what it said on the sign – from $1.99 to $1.89 per gallon. In fact, she said the way we were handling it was the smartest thing she had seen,” Everett added, “But, they spun it a little bit when they aired it.”

“We are taking care of our local citizens. The supply chain is now catching up with the demand, and things are returning back to normal,” Everett stated.

“There will continue to be a limited amount of cleaning supplies, because they are being used in greater quantities, but some people will have enough toilet paper for the next six months,” he added.

“Many of the people coming down to our coastal area own homes down there and pay local property taxes. Most of them are not the ones doing the hoarding. We did have one guy who bought nine loaves of bread to take back to Georgia, but we stopped that immediately and started limiting customers to two bread items,” he said.

“In fact, I have been told by many customers that they can find more products at Maddie’s Market in Steinhatchee than they can at Wal-mart and Winn-Dixie,” Everett added.

“We have done everything we can possibly do to take care of our locals, including our employees,”

Everett said after Governor Ron DeSantis ordered restaurants to go to take-out or delivery only, he shifted employee assignments around to prevent layoffs.

“We re-assigned two of our Huddle House employees to work at Maddie’s Market, where they are working three 12-hour shifts to help take care of our Steinhatchee people,” Everett said.

“We also shut down the midnight shift at Pepperheads, which affected three employees, but then managed to move one of those to Salem, so our net lay-off was just two people,” he added.

According to Everett, fuel demand is down between 50-70% in the past month.

“We will be applying for payroll relief under the CARES Act so that we do not have to lay off anyone else and we will continue to have these positions in place when we get through this and everyone is able to get back to work,” Everett added.

“We are going to sign up for the stimulus. We are taking care of our employees so that we can be certain that when we get through this period and get on the other side, we are 100% ready to get back to work,” Everett said.

“We will get through this,” he stated.

Debbie Hall of Debbie’s Jewels, located in the heart of downtown Perry, said she is tailoring her business “to whatever her customers feel most comfortable with – private shopping or curbside service. The uncertainty is what is so stressing. I am a member of a local Vera Bradley board, and we are the only store out of those 10 that is still open. Most of those businesses are making an online presence.”

Foot traffic for her downtown business “just isn’t there,” Hall said. “But supporting our local businesses is what’s going to keep us here. I didn’t sacrifice and work so hard to establish a business just to let it go. We are still here…we are still open.”

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