West Chester’s restaurant-laden business district has remained surprisingly stable during the pandemic; however, the looming cold weather could change that, writes Frank Fitzpatrick for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

With the number of open small businesses in Philadelphia dropping by 24 percent since January 2020, the only store to recently shutter in West Chester’s downtown was a Starbucks.

“And that had already been in the works,” said John O’Brien, executive director of the West Chester Business Improvement District. “A lot of businesses are teetering on the brink, but so far West Chester has been very resilient.”

Not only has West Chester managed to keep most of its small businesses open, but several new ones are preparing to open their doors.

However, the approaching winter could threaten all this by causing an uptick in COVID-19 cases and putting a stop to al-fresco dining. This has helped the majority of restaurants stay open despite the restrictions.

Now, the borough aims to decorate and advertise local businesses more aggressively than usual.

“The next couple of months will be vital,” said Jamie Weisbrot, owner of Phineas Gage.

Read more about West Chester in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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