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  • >> WE WANTED TO HEAR FROM SOME OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS ALONG

  • THIS ROUTE DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION FOR THE

  • ALBUQUERQUE RAPID TRANSIT PROJECT, RIGHT AT THEIR FRONT

  • DOOR.

  • I AM JOINED AT THE TABLE BY GABRIEL AMADOR, CO-OWNER OF

  • AMORE NEAPOLITAN PIZZERIA, WHICH HAS LOCATIONS IN THE

  • GREEN JEANS FARMERY AND AT CARLISLE AND I-40 AND COUNTRY

  • CLUB PLAZA ON CENTRAL AVENUE IN WEST DOWNTOWN.

  • AND COLLIN TROY IS CO-OWNER OF THE OCTOPUS AND FOX AND

  • ARTISAN STORE ON CENTRAL AVENUE IN THE ETO DISTRICTS,

  • EAST OF DOWNTOWN.

  • THANKS FOR JOINING US.

  • >> SO, LET'S START WITH THE BIG QUESTION.

  • HAVE YOU TAKEN A FINANCIAL HIT DURING THE ART CONSTRUCTION?

  • GABRIEL, START WITH YOU?

  • >> WELL, YEAH, DEFINITELY WE HAVE.

  • IT IS KIND OF HARD FOR US TO GAUGE A PERCENTAGE BECAUSE WE

  • WERE STILL A NEW BUSINESS WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION STARTED.

  • >> WHEN DID YOU OPEN YOUR LOCATION?

  • >> WE OPENED IN JUNE AND WE OPENED IN JUNE SO WE WERE

  • STILL GETTING THAT LITTLE RAMP UP OF BUSINESS AND BUILDING

  • CLIENTELE AND THEN OCTOBER WAS WHEN THE CONES WENT UP IN

  • FRONT US AND OUR BUSINESS REALLY DID KIND OF TAPER OFF

  • FROM THAT POINT.

  • >> COLLIN -- I AM SORRY.

  • >> WE DROPPED, I WOULD SAY, PROBABLY 20% BUT WE WERE AT A

  • POINT WHERE WE WERE STILL TRYING TO BUILD AND WEREN'T

  • CLOSE TO WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE OR SHOULD BE YET, SO WE HAVE

  • NEVER BEEN ABLE TO GET TO THE BASELINE WHERE WE SHOULD BE.

  • >> YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE 2013, YOU HAD A LOCAL

  • BRAND NAME.

  • >> YES.

  • >> COLLIN, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

  • >> AS FAR AS FINANCIAL HIT IT HAS BEEN NEAR A DISASTER FOR

  • OUR SHOP.

  • >> SIMILAR FOR GABRIEL, THE CONSTRUCTION STARTED IN MID

  • OCTOBER AND WE ALWAYS WERE CURIOUS HOW IT WOULD AFFECT

  • US.

  • AT FIRST IT MADE BUSINESS VERY UNPREDICTABLE, YOU KNOW, JUST

  • ALL OF THE KIND OF TRAFFIC THAT WE COULD RELY ON STARTED

  • TO CHANGE AND THEN IN LATE FEBRUARY, IN FRONT OF OUR

  • STORE, RIGHT THERE ON CENTRAL AND EDITH, THE CONSTRUCTION

  • REALLY INTENSIFIED AND IT MADE IT NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IN

  • THE STORE BUT IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE.

  • AND, FROM WHEN CONSTRUCTION REALLY INTENSIFIED THERE IN

  • THE MIDDLE TO LATE FEBRUARY, WE SAW 60% REDUCTION IN SALES

  • IN MARCH AND -- >> THAT IS FROM LAST YEAR?

  • WOW, OKAY.

  • >> I THINK YOU SAID ON YOUR -- ONE OF YOUR VIDEOS THAT LAST

  • YEAR WAS YOUR BEST YEAR.

  • YOU HAVE BEEN OPEN FOR FIVE OR SIX YEARS.

  • I WANT TO MAKE IT ALSO JUST HAVE YOU EXPLAIN YOUR

  • INVENTORY IS CREATED BY LOCAL ARTISTS.

  • YOU'RE NOT QUITE A CO-OP BUT BASICALLY DOING CONSIGNMENT

  • WORK AND IT IS NOT JUST YOU LOSING MONEY, IT IS LOCAL

  • ARTISTS WHO PUT STUFF IN YOUR STORE TO SELL.

  • >> ABSOLUTELY, YEAH.

  • IT IS A CONSIGNMENT DEAL AND IT IS VERY GENEROUS TO THE

  • ARTISTS.

  • WE DEAL WITH OVER 40 ARTISTS IN THE STORE AND, YEAH, THE

  • ECONOMY OF OUR SHOP DOES, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT A NUMBER OF

  • ARTISAN FAMILIES AND MAKERS ALL AROUND TOWN AND SO IT IS

  • AFFECTING EVERYBODY.

  • >> ARE YOU EVEN PULLING STUFF OUT BECAUSE OF THAT?

  • >> NOT YET, NO.

  • WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A VERY LOYAL SUPPORTIVE GROUP OF

  • ARTISTS AND CUSTOMERS AND SO FAR, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP

  • OUR STOCK IN THE SHOP.

  • >> GABRIEL, YOUR LOCATION IN WEST DOWNTOWN, YOU SAY WAS

  • GETTING ESTABLISHED ALONG WITH SOME OTHER NEW RESTAURANTS.

  • DO YOU THINK THE TIMING OF THE CONSTRUCTION HAD A ROLE IN

  • ESTABLISHING REGULAR PATRONS TO AMORE AND OTHER RESTAURANTS

  • AROUND YOU?

  • YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE AS LONG AS DURANS.

  • >> WITH BUSINESSES IN WEST DOWNTOWN, THERE IS A LOT OF

  • OLD ONES BUT A LOT OF NEW ONES AND IT IS A RAPIDLY CHANGING

  • AREA.

  • A LOT LIKE WITH THE ARTS AND CULTURE DISTRICT, WHERE WE ARE

  • DEFINITELY ALIGNED WITH THEM AND CLOSE, AND I THINK WHEN IT

  • COMES DOWN TO IT, BUSINESSES THERE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE ALL

  • SUFFERED.

  • THEY HAVE ALL TAKEN A HIT AS FAR AS THEIR BUSINESS, I

  • THINK, YOU KNOW, IT IS DIFFERENT TO ABSORB THAT FOR

  • NEWER BUSINESSES AS OPPOSED TO AN ESTABLISHED BUSINESS,

  • DEFINITELY.

  • BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO BUILD CLIENTELE THROUGH SOMETHING

  • LIKE THAT AS OPPOSED TO WHEN YOU HAVE THAT ESTABLISHED

  • CLIENTELE THAT IS THERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND GET YOU

  • THROUGH IT. AND WE HAVE GOTTEN THAT AS

  • WELL, BUT, AS FAR AS, YEAH, THE AFFECT ON IT, IT HAS

  • BEEN -- I THINK IT HAS BEEN WIDESPREAD ACROSS ALL THE

  • BUSINESSES THERE, OLD AND NOW.

  • >> YOU'RE A PART OF A GROUP IN WEST DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNERS.

  • YOU CAME TOGETHER DURING CONSTRUCTION AND TALK ABOUT

  • ART AND OTHER THINGS.

  • WHAT IS THE GROUP'S FOCUS RIGHT NOW?

  • >> WELL, ORIGINALLY WE GOT TOGETHER AND IT WAS REALLY

  • ABOUT GETTING THROUGH ART AND FINDING A WAY TO ADVERTISE

  • THROUGH THAT, SOMEHOW WORK TOGETHER TO GET THROUGH IT,

  • YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY, AND TRY TO SURVIVE.

  • AND IT IS REALLY KIND OF CHANGED FROM THAT BECAUSE THAT

  • IS WHAT IT STARTED AS.

  • WE ARE FOCUSED ON DOING THINGS TO GET US THROUGH THE

  • CONSTRUCTION BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE DONE A LOT MORE.

  • WE ARE LOOKING NOW TOWARDS FUTURE AND HOW TO BUILD AND

  • REALLY WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY THERE BECAUSE IT IS KIND

  • UNIQUE AND SPECIAL THING.

  • WE ARE ALL COMPETING BUSINESSES WORKING TOGETHER

  • AND THAT IS UNIQUE THING, PARTICULARLY WITH RESTAURANTS.

  • THERE IS A LOT OF COMPETITION FACTOR IN THAT AND IT IS

  • UNIQUE BECAUSE THEY ARE BRINGING POSITIVE ENERGY TO

  • THE MEETINGS AND WORKING TOGETHER AND I THINK IT IS

  • REALLY A MENTALITY OF LOOKING AT THE SETUP AS IF THE TIDE

  • RISES, ALL THE BOATS RISE WITH IT.

  • THAT IS WHAT WE FOCUS ON AND TRYING TO, AGAIN, BUILD FOR

  • THE FUTURE, GET THROUGH THIS AND MAKE SURE IT IS BETTER ON

  • THE OTHER SIDE.

  • >> OCTOPUS AND FOX HAS A CROWD FUNDING CAMPAIGN UP NOW AND

  • YOUR PAGE CALLED ART, QUOTE, INVASIVE AND CONTROVERSIAL.

  • ARE YOU AGAINST THE BUS LINE OR AGAINST HOW IT WAS ROLLED

  • OUT BY THE CITY?

  • >> DEFINITELY NOT AGAINST THE BUS LINE.

  • OBVIOUSLY, THINGS CHANGE AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE CITY

  • IMPROVEMENTS AND WE ARE CAREFUL NOT TO BE TOO CRITICAL

  • OF THE PROJECT FROM OUR STANDPOINT AS A BUSINESS, YOU

  • KNOW.

  • OBVIOUSLY WE ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE.

  • THE ROLL OUT HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT ON US.

  • THROUGHOUT THE COURSE FROM BEGINNING TO NOW, WE HAVE

  • NEVER HAD A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF TIME FRAMES,

  • SCOPE, YOU KNOW, NOBODY REALLY WAS ABLE TO GIVE STRAIGHT

  • ANSWERS OR WHEN WE DID GET STRAIGHT ANSWERS, THOSE WOULD

  • CHANGE VERY QUICKLY.

  • SO -- >> NOT UNUSUAL IN CONSTRUCTION

  • PROJECTS BUT IT DOES IMPACT EVERYBODY ESPECIALLY IN THIS

  • ONE.

  • >> ABSOLUTELY.

  • THE BIGGEST, YOU KNOW, I GUESS, TO ANSWER YOUR

  • QUESTION, YOU KNOW, YEAH, WE'RE NOT AGAINST IT BUT THE

  • ROLL OUT, I THINK, COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED DIFFERENTLY AND

  • AT LEAST, FOR OUR SECTION OF THE STREET, WHICH IS SOME VERY

  • INTENSE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON RIGHT NOW, A CLEAR PICTURE OF

  • WHAT THAT WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE

  • HELPED US PREPARE.

  • >> GABRIEL WHAT ABOUT YOU?

  • WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF AGAINST THE PROJECT OR MORE

  • ABOUT HOW IT WAS ROLLED OUT, THE SCOPE?

  • >> WHEN IT COMES TO THE PROJECT, I DON'T REALLY TAKE A

  • STANCE ON IT FOR OR AGAINST.

  • I THINK IT IS GOOD TO HAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT AND WE NEED

  • MORE OF IT.

  • I THINK THERE IS PROBABLY A LOT OF OPTIONS AND THINGS THAT

  • COULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT.

  • AS FAR AS WHETHER THIS WAS BEST ONE OR NOT, I AM NOT THE

  • ONE TO DECIDE THAT.

  • >> ARE YOU HAVING THE SAME ISSUES IN TERMS, YOU KNOW, OF

  • THE STREET IS WIDER WHERE YOU GUYS ARE.

  • IS IT LIKE WHAT IS GOING ON TODAY.

  • >> THE INFORMATION HASN'T BEEN CONSISTENT AND WHEN WE GET

  • INFORMATION IT HAS CHANGED OVER TIME.

  • SO, THAT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT, IT IS HARD TO WORK WITH THAT.

  • AS A BUSINESS WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FORECAST AND PLAN

  • AHEAD AND YOU KNOW WITH EVERYTHING FROM INVENTORY AND

  • STAFF AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAY.

  • SO IT IS HARD TO DO THAT WHEN THE INFORMATION COMING TO US

  • ISN'T CORRECT, AS FAR AS TIME LINES AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.

  • WE WERE TOLD NOTHING WAS STARTING UNTIL JANUARY AND

  • CONES WENT UP IN OCTOBER.

  • >> WHAT COULD THE CITY HAVE DONE BETTER BESIDES GIVING YOU

  • THE ACTUAL START DATE.

  • >> I THINK THERE IS OPTIONS THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE,

  • THINGS LIKE, CITY'S DOING FREE ADVERTISING TO AFFECTED

  • BUSINESSES ON PUBLIC BUSES OR CITY BUSES, THAT KIND OF

  • THING.

  • YOU KNOW THEY HAVE HAD SOME REALLY BIG TRANSIT PROJECTS

  • AND THEY HAVE DONE A LOT TO SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES THROUGH

  • THAT AND IT SEEMS HERE THEY HAVE HAD A LOT OF IDEAS ON

  • THINGS TO DO TO SUPPORT THE BUSINESS BUT THE MONEY IS

  • ALWAYS NOT THERE WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THOSE.

  • >> COLLIN, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

  • SOME THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SEEN THE CITY DO?

  • >> IT IS HARD TO SAY AT THIS POINT.

  • OTHER THAN CLEARER COMMUNICATION TO US.

  • THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED, WE HAVE APPRECIATED.

  • WE HAVE SEEN BILLBOARDS UP, BUT, FOR US, IT DOESN'T

  • CHANGE.

  • THE CONSTRUCTION IS TWO FEET OUT IN FRONT OF OUR DOOR AND

  • PEOPLE CAN'T GET INTO THE STORE.

  • >> I KNOW YOU'RE DOING A CROWD FUNDING CAMPAIGN FOR SUPPORT

  • DURING CONSTRUCTION.

  • WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO DO THAT AND ARE YOU ALSO LOOKING TO

  • GET A LOAN FROM THIS PROGRAM THE CITY SAYS THEY ARE GOING

  • TO HAVE.

  • >> YEAH, I MEAN, AS FAR AS THE CROWD FUNDING, WE HAD TO MAKE

  • A DECISION WHETHER WE WERE GOING TO STAY OPEN OR NOT AND

  • OBVIOUSLY CROWD FUNDING IS AN OPTION FOR ANY BUSINESS AND WE

  • BELIEVED THAT THE GOODWILL OF OUR CUSTOMERS AND THE

  • COMMUNITY AROUND THE STORE THAT WOULD COME THROUGH FOR US

  • AND REALLY HELP TO AT LEAST BUY US A FEW MONTHS TO SEE

  • WHAT HAPPENS AND THAT HAS BEEN THE EFFORT.

  • AND IN THE CROWD FUNDING CAMPAIGN TOO WE ARE NOT MAKING

  • IT JUST ABOUT OUR STORE BUT THE CONCEPT OF THE CAMPAIGN IS

  • TO SUPPORT ALL THE BUSINESSES UP AND DOWN CENTRAL AFFECTED.

  • >> WILL YOU TRY TO GET A LOAN EVEN THOUGH THE CITY HASN'T

  • QUITE ROLLED THAT OUT YET?

  • >> WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE LOANS AND AT THIS POINT WE

  • DON'T KNOW IF -- I MEAN, THE IDEA OF GOING INTO DEBT TO

  • KEEP A SHOP AFLOAT FOR US AT THIS POINT IS SOMETHING THAT

  • WE'RE CONSIDERING BUT WE JUST DON'T KNOW THE FUTURE SO AT

  • THIS POINT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IT ON OUR OWN BUT CERTAINLY

  • OPEN TO IT.

  • >> SO, LOOKING AHEAD TO THE SUMMER, WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR

  • YOUR BUSINESSES RIGHT NOW?

  • >> I THINK REALLY JUST TRYING TO GET THROUGH IT AND WEATHER

  • THE STORM AND HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME BIG PUSH AT THE END OF IT

  • THERE AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL START COMING BACK TO

  • CENTRAL.

  • THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS.

  • WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE THEY ARE NOT GOING NO NECESSARILY FLOCK

  • RIGHT BACK TO THEIR REGULAR ROUTINE AND GOING BACK TO

  • PLACES ON CENTRAL WILL HAPPEN SLOWLY AND MAYBE THE CITY HAS

  • AN OPPORTUNITY ON THAT SIDE OF IT TO REALLY DO SOMETHING TO

  • DRIVE PEOPLE TO THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE AFFECTED

  • AND WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE IT THROUGH IT, BECAUSE THERE IS A

  • LOT THAT DIDN'T TOO.

  • >> WHAT BUT YOU?

  • IS THERE A POINT WHERE YOU JUST CLOSE YOUR DOORS?

  • WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

  • >> OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE SUMMER.

  • WE'RE HOPING THAT OBVIOUSLY TRAFFIC IS JUST NOT THERE ON

  • CENTRAL AND WE ARE HOPING JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT THAT

  • CONSTRUCTION CAN MOVE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET.

  • RIGHT NOW IT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DOOR.

  • WE'RE HONING FOR THAT SHIFT.

  • CITY SAID THAT SHOULD HAPPEN IN MAY.

  • THAT LITTLE BIT OF ACCESS WOULD HOPEFULLY GO A LONG WAY

  • AND WE REALLY HOPE TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE SUMMER SO THAT WE

  • CAN ROLL OUT THE REST OF THE YEAR THAT WE PLANNED.

  • WE HAVE AN ANNUAL EVENT IN OCTOBER CALLED OCTOFAIR WHICH

  • IS A LARGE COMMUNITY EVENT, KIND OF LIKE A BLOCK PARTY

  • CRAFT FESTIVAL, AND WE JUST WANT TO GET THERE AND OUR GOAL

  • AT THIS POINT IS TO GET THROUGH THE SUMMER AND

  • HOPEFULLY GET TO CHRISTMAS.

  • AND AS A RETAIL STORE THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND ONE OF

  • THE VERY DISHEARTENING THINGS AT THIS POINT IS EVEN IF WE

  • CAN MAKE IT THERE, IT SOUNDS LIKE CONSTRUCTION COULD

  • CONTINUE THROUGH DECEMBER AND THAT COULD -- THAT CONTINUES

  • TO BE, YOU KNOW, UNKNOWN, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO US AND

  • ALL THE BUSINESSES AROUND US.

  • >> WELL, COLLIN TROY, GABRIEL AMADOR, APPRECIATE YOU COMING

  • IN AND TALKING ABOUT THIS.

  • WE'LL KEEP FOLLOWING THIS AS IT EVOLVES.

  • THANKS FOR COMING IN.

>> WE WANTED TO HEAR FROM SOME OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS ALONG

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