The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic provided hard lessons to be learned in every sector.
Mark Muller, owner of Black Diamond’s Country Food Mart AG Foods, is optimistic his store is as prepared as can be for the unknown challenges that lie ahead.
“We haven't really seen any hit yet with this new wave,” he said. “I think suppliers were caught off guard last time — no one expected this would happen and no one would expect this.
“There’s a delicate balance... It's taken a long time to recover, that's for sure.”
Muller is confident his business has adapted to the changing times with the reformatted services that came about in the spring.
“We've maintained the same services; we have contact free parking lot pickup, they call and order with their credit card, or they call in, we put it on their front porch, and run away.
“We've got one-way aisles, screens in front of the cashiers and the meat department — we've never really gotten away from that."
Muller notes that shopping carts and baskets are also sanitized regularly.
“During our first wave we put a limit on toilet paper and paper towel and we took it off, but in the last few days we put it back on again in anticipation,” he said.
With the latest batch of restrictions, announced on Nov. 24 by the provincial government, all staff will now be wearing masks, with Muller adding that he hopes customers will follow suit, but acknowledging that information may be slow to get to those less technologically able.
“You see customers wandering in and they don't even know about it,” he said. “Hopefully more people see that and know this is what's expected. We're all in this together and the sooner we start wearing masks and the sooner we can flatten the curve, the sooner we can stop wearing masks.
“I think that's what we're all hoping for. It's strange times, none of us have ever been through this before.
“We've had 10 months of practice, so we're on top of it and we're doing the best we can.”
Muller noted the weight his 32 employees have been pulling through the pandemic.
“Our staff has been amazing — they're the ones that really deserve the big pats on their back,” he said.
“We're here together and we're going to get through this somehow.”
