Brooklyn Businesses 'Still Reeling' 2 Years After COVID: Survey

BROOKLYN, NY — A majority of small businesses in Brooklyn are "still reeling" from the financial strain of the coronavirus pandemic two years after the crisis began, according to a new survey.

Only 41 percent of small businesses surveyed by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce saw their revenue increase between 2020 and 2021, even as the city was beginning to reopen its economy, the year-end survey of 185 businesses found.

Many of the businesses were still struggling to pay rent, hire enough staff and bring back the level of sales they had before the pandemic, the survey found.

“What our end of the year survey definitively shows is that business owners are continuously facing ongoing challenges roadblocking the truly robust recovery New York City deserves and is capable of achieving,” said Chamber of Commerce President Randy Peers.

A whopping 72 percent of the restaurants, bars, gyms, retailers and other businesses surveyed by the Chamber of Commerce said their sales had not yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, with 68 percent saying customers were still fewer than they were in 2019 and 41 percent reporting slimmer employee headcounts, according to the survey.

Almost half of the businesses surveyed are women or minority-owned, officials said.

A third of businesses said they struggled to pay rent, while 25 percent had to shut down for certain periods of time given staffing shortages, according to the survey.

“But more than anything, our small businesses are amazingly resilient, and we have their backs for the long haul.”

The lingering financial strain of the pandemic comes as city and state officials tackle how to safely kickstart New York City's economy.

This month, Mayor Eric Adams laid out a plan for a economic "reboot" he hopes will bring back 400,000 jobs lost during the pandemic and boost tourism across the city. It includes a new $75 million fund for small businesses in need of a loan and cuts to red tape — such as the suspension of the liquor license application fee — for those hoping to open.

The city's fund will add to existing federal help for small businesses. Two-thirds of those surveyed in Brooklyn said they had received help from the Paycheck Protection Program and another 46 percent got an Economic Injury Disaster Loan.

Businesses also got boosts from outdoor dining and to-go alcohol sales, which the governor has pushed to make permanent despite pushback from lawmakers.

Still, Peers noted that there is more to be done to ensure businesses can rebound.

"Optimism won’t pay the bills or ensure there is a path to continued growth for so many small businesses that at a point over the last two years probably were not sure whether they would survive another week or month," Peers said. "While we can see a time where Covid is not directly harming significant numbers of our neighbors, we need to double down on ensuring our small business have the guidance, resources and tools to build back our main streets and communities.”