Ingleside Together: Small Businesses Continue Serving The Neighborhood During COVID-19 Crisis

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Welcome to Ingleside Together, The Ingleside Light’s way to keep our community united during the shelter-in-place public health order in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. We will highlight what to know and things to do while we wait.

Though the crisis response to the COVID-19 coronavirus has decimated Ocean Avenue foot, bicycle, scooter and auto traffic, businesses deemed essential by City Hall remain open and ready to serve the public.

Grocers, restaurants and other businesses are offering Ingleside residents goods and services as they shelter in place, with noticeably few people walking on the sidewalk and all seemingly observing social distancing guidelines.

Signs on the windows of businesses inform patrons of temporary closures, reduced hours and, for restaurants, the availability of takeout and delivery service.

Ocean Cyclery owner Jeff Taliaferro wore a face mask as he worked repairing bicycles.

“The mayor said we were an essential business so we’re open,” Taliaferro said. “But we’re only letting people in one at a time.”

The UPS Store’s Fabian Crawford single-handedly managed a long line of customers, mostly picking up or dropping off packages.

“It’s a lot of pressure,” Crawford said, “I’m by myself but I just serve people one at a time, like at a grocery store!”

While the crisis is a strain on the Ingleside merchant community, they appear ready to serve the public for as long as they can. Ocean Ale House co-owner Miles Escobedo said that while his business has taken a hit, they are keeping their doors open.

“Our customers are totally supporting us,” Escobedo said. “People are coming in and getting food to go and beer to go. They’re asking us how we’re doing and what they can do, and being awesome.”

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