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Store owners hope to minimize fallout from storm

By Jake Batsell
Seattle Times business reporter

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A Friday in December usually means brisk business for a snowboard shop as skiers and snowboarders prepare for weekend trips to the mountains.

So when power outages darkened shops yesterday in North Bend for the second straight day, Mt. Si Board and Skate opened anyway. Employees guided a handful of customers through the store with flashlights and candles until power was restored at 2:30 p.m.

"You can't be closed on a day in December," owner Robin Roettger said.

Many stores shut down by Thursday's windstorm reopened at some point yesterday, but some retailers in East and South King County said the storm wiped out a day or two of sales during the busiest shopping season.

At Mt. Si Board and Skate, in the Factory Stores at North Bend, Roettger said Thursday's closure and yesterday's sluggish business probably will cut out 5 percent of the store's monthly sales. And with the Summit at Snoqualmie closed yesterday for lack of power, the outlook for the weekend was uncertain.

The lost sales might force Roettger to hold back on temporary hires in coming weeks. To spur business, she has begun to offer 15 percent discounts on some items.

Factoria Mall in Bellevue reopened yesterday after most stores were closed Thursday. General Manager Craig Chang said some stores — Target, Mervyn's, Safeway and Rite Aid — stayed open Thursday because they had backup generators, but the rest of the mall's tenants were closed.

Sarah Manningsmith, manager of Arts West Unique Gifts inside the mall, said business might have been slow anyway Thursday because of the bad weather. Still, she said, it's tough to be closed anytime during holiday season, when the store pulls in roughly half its annual sales.

"I'm hopeful that this weekend and the rest of the season will make up for whatever we lost," Manningsmith said.

Power outages also hounded businesses in the Fairwood area near Renton, where power was restored late Thursday afternoon. A La Turca Cafe & Grill, a Turkish restaurant, was closed for lunch Thursday but had a busier-than-usual dinner rush because many nearby residents couldn't cook at home.

Next door at the Salon Tii Gavo, manager Gail Miles said stylists tried to maintain business as usual for a while Thursday but then decided to close.

"We were cutting hair in the dark," Miles said yesterday. "Everybody was very nice and rescheduled. Only a couple people went home wet."

Jake Batsell: 206-464-2718 or jbatsell@seattletimes.com

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