business | 2020 CHALLENGES
ALEX MCINTYRE The downtown business district is seen in Windsor May 25, 2021.
BUSINESSES IN WINDSOR CONTINUE TO THRIVE DESPITE A CHALLENGING 2020 BY TAMARA MARKARD
I
t’s no secret that 2020 posed more than a few challenges to businesses fighting to survive during a pandemic.
As numerous companies across the U.S. shuttered their operations or drastically downsized, being a business owner was not the optimal choice for a profession. “It’s been a rough year at every level for all cities and towns. We’ve all been dealing with the same issues, maybe just at a different level, but certainly with the same emotion,” said Scott Charpentier, Windsor Town Board Member and Town Board Liaison for the Windsor Chamber of Commerce. Despite the economic challenges 2020 served, businesses in the town of
8 | mywindsor | JUNE 2021
Windsor — both existing and new— have managed to thrive. By deciding to expand parking, liquor licensing regulations, adding to-go features, paying for food delivery
“I think we did an awful lot and fortunately, I think we are coming out on the other side of it,”
service fees and fast-tracking it all, the town board was able to help support its businesses during one of the hardest economic situations communities have faced in years. “I think we did an awful lot and fortunately, I think we are coming out on the other side of it,” Charpentier said. “So, I think we are moving pretty good.” Some of the new establishments added to the town’s business sector over the past year include Peculier Ales,The Mill Event Venue, Red Zone Athletics, Frae and Co. Salon, Black Label Home Solutions and Yuzu Asian Bistro. “Our businesses are resilient. In the downtown, we did have a few businesses that closed, but those that did were almost immediately backfilled with new businesses,”said Matt Ashby, executive director of the Windsor Downtown
