PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The coronavirus pandemic continues to grow worldwide. Meanwhile, the outbreak has brought normal daily life to a shuddering halt.

Downtown Portland would typically be bustling with life on a Saturday—rain or shine. However, the handful of popular bars on 3rd Street only saw a meager crowd. While several other hotspots in the neighborhood remain open such as the Saturday Market, coronavirus concerns kept usual customers at home. The nearby Roseland Theater has postponed or canceled events through April 21.

Lisa Schroeder, owner of Mother’s Bistro. March 14, 2020 (KOIN)

The weekend typically brings people out in droves for brunch. But on Saturday, even a mainstay like Mother’s Bistro said they were feeling the effects.

“Business is way down,” said Lisa Schroeder, owner of Mother’s Bistro. “We need to cut staff. Guests just aren’t coming in.”

Schroeder said that she has 24 reservations for Saturday evening. Just two weeks ago she had 162 booked.

“We had to cut seven people yesterday. Five people tonight we told not to come in,” said Schroeder. “Business is way off—it’s truly, it’s truly scary. Let’s hope we make it.”

Coronavirus: Continuing Coverage

In the wake of the governor issuing a state of emergency, several restaurants and bars have limited their operations to drive-thru or deliveries only, and in some cases, have closed their doors entirely.

Beetroot Market and Deli, a Northwest Portland restaurant that only opened six months ago, has scaled back its service to only offering delivery and take out. The restaurant was also closed over the weekend so that management could discuss how to move forward with amended operations.

“We felt it was important to,” said Sonya Sanford, owner of Beetroot. “It’s just not safe to be gathering. Our dining area holds 27 people and that’s too many.”

Beetroot is one of many small, local businesses that will likely struggle to pay future bills due to the public remaining at home and practicing social distancing. Sanford said the decision to close was the right one, but a tough one.

A closed sign hung in the front door of Beetroot. March 13, 2020 (KOIN)

“I’m worried about the future of all small businesses and restaurants,” said Sanford. “And how this affects everyone. I’m worried about my business, but we are in this together.”

In the meantime, Beetroot is not using a third party delivery service so that they can ensure all employees are healthy, and food will be delivered “individually wrapped and handled with disposable gloves.”

The JINX Bar and Restaurant on Portland’s popular NE Killingsworth announced on Saturday that it will also be suspending operations. Discussions on when to reopen the restaurant’s doors won’t be revisited until April 1.

While restaurants are suffering, grocery stores have become a hotspot. Toilet paper and hand sanitizer continue to sell out locally and across the country. In fact, Fred Meyer and Winco Foods are now hiring extra employees to cope with customer demand.

On Friday, KOIN 6 News spoke with a manager at a Vancouver Grocery Outlet who said it would normally take six months to sell out of hand sanitizer—now it only takes half a business day.