JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s been five years since COVID-19 changed the world around us. Everything from how we shop to how we socialize, a wrench was thrown into our regular days and we were forced to experience a new normal and millions of people died around the world.
It wasn’t just the customers adapting, but the businesses, how they operated and served the community. Many were not able to come back from the pandemic, but some were able to make it through.
Crispy’s, a popular pizza spot in Springfield, was one of the places able to survive the challenges. They are still open and running today, thanks to the community, but it wasn’t easy.
“That was obviously a crazy time for everybody, but for us, we were rolling into a big St. Patty’s Day weekend,” said owner John Crispens. “We actually had a block party planned on Main Street, so it was supposed to be from Seventh Street to Eighth Street. We’re gonna have the whole thing, a band out there and we were expecting several thousand people. And up until a couple days before that, we were expecting to be able to still go through it. And then we finally got the word that that wasn’t happening.”
From one day to the next, Crispy’s shut down like businesses all throughout the country.
“I was lucky at this point, because I was established. I was open a little over two years. And here in Springfield, you know, the support that you get from the community is amazing,” Crispens said.
Like many local businesses during the pandemic, they had to cut back on staff. They went from 30 to 5 people. Crispens said he was in his restaurant from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. making pizza for the whole community.
“Everybody would pop in, they would get, you know, their pizzas and their food to go. So we were just trying to give them the best information that we had. We were fortunate enough to get one of the PPP loans. So as soon as that happened, I went from the 30 down to five, and I immediately went back, I think I was able to hire back 26 employees at that point, but, you know, back up to full strength.”
When he looks back on the last five years, he says business is back as usual and he has the community to thank for that.
“I love everybody in Springfield. And just the support that we’ve always had over the years has been amazing. That’s why I always like to tell people that you don’t have to worry. Crispy’s is not going anywhere. I’m crispy. This is Crispy’s. You know we’re not going anywhere. And thank you for getting us through,” he said.
