KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Many businesses across the metro area did not open promptly Wednesday in the wake of the big snowstorm.
Kansas City Mayor Sly James asked businesses to stagger their start times in hopes of relieving traffic congestion on snow covered streets. 63rd Street was one of the dividing lines for the staggered start. Businesses to the south were advised to open at 8 a.m. From 63rd Street north to the Missouri River, the city asked that employers delay opening until 9 a.m.
Whether it was by choice or not, FOX 4 News did not observe a lot of businesses open by 8 a.m. Convenience stores, grocery stores, and drug stores; places that you expect to be open nearly all the time were open.
The Dime Store in Brookside usually opens at 8:30 a.m., but delayed opening until 9 a.m. in accordance with the city’s advice.
Shift leader James Mason said even if he wanted to open at the normal time, he probably would not have made it because of the time he spent digging out of his driveway and the slow commute.
“With my boss, she’s dedicated, this is her business, her livelihood,” Mason explained. “She wants us open at the right time at 8:30, but with a day like today, she’s being very flexible, very lenient about it.”
Many businesses on the Brookside 63rd Street strip don’t open until 10 a.m., and some are taking the city’s advice one step further, delaying their openings until after 10 a.m. Some viewers on the FOX 4 News Facebook page said they didn’t have to be in until noon, or like many schools, they’re getting another day at home.
Regardless of when you have to work, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of people out and about. The Dime Store may be open, but customers have been few and far between. Many have told FOX’s John Pepitone they are spending the day digging out from the double-digit snowfall.
