Snow business can mean good business — or very little business

EVERETT — Business has slowed to a trickle at Joe’s Glass Co. on Evergreen Way.

But owner Joe Dunn isn’t too worried. If he doesn’t see customers this week, he’ll see them soon.

Snow may look fluffy, but it’s kicking up “ice, salt and rocks,” Dunn said.

“People’s windshields are getting all kind of chips, and then you turn on the defroster — the glass expands — and that causes breakage.”

When it melts, Dunn expects business at his glass repair and replacement shop will skyrocket.

Take a number. Get in line.

While the wintry onslaught has cut into sales at many local businesses; others say customer traffic is way up.

It all depends on what’s on the shelves or what’s for sale.

The KushMart cannabis store in Everett has had to cut its hours, depending on snow levels and whether employees can make it to work.

However, when it does open, “It’s been really crowded,” manager Nathan Doohan said.

A few have opted to hang up the “Closed” sign and lock the doors. The Sisters Restaurant on Grand Avenue threw in the dish towel Monday after it looked like they’d be short on staff and diners.

Gas stations and grocery stores are enjoying a run on customers, but stores that offer life’s little luxuries, such as nail salons and spas, are as quiet as snowfall.

Tommy Nguyen, owner of Tommy Barber & Nail Spa in Everett, closed the nail salon portion of his shop four days ago, and gave workers the days off.

“We haven’t had anyone come in,” he said. “There was no use keeping it open.”

He’s kept the barber shop open, however.

“The men are still coming in for haircuts,” he said. “Women aren’t out in all this.”

There might be an explanation for the dichotomy.

Jerry Morris, of Everett, took his wife’s car to go shopping.

Hmmm.

Morris complained about the hungry mouths that were “eating him out of house and home.”

“They think it’s a buffet. They’re hanging around all day. And they’re bringing their friends,” he told Shannon Bailey, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Everett.

(Now you see where this is going.)

“First they ate the sunflower seeds, then they ate the blueberries and then they cleaned out the crabapple trees,” said Morris, who bought a 20-pound bag of premium bird seed.

“They” include hungry finches, thrushes and robins that assemble daily at his outdoor feeder.

Local bird lovers are spending like crazy, Bailey said.

“It’s been incredible. We’ve had three times and four times the sales in the last couple of days,” she said.

The peanut logs, hummingbird nectar and Chickadee Chew mix are flying off the shelves, she said.

But Bailey said supplies were running low at her store and the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Lynnwood.

With the parking lot still clogged in snow, the delivery truck couldn’t make it to the front door last week.

“We had to unload everything in the parking lot,” Bailey said.

“I was hoisting bags onto the tailgate of my truck and driving them to the store. Luckily my son brought his friends to help,” she said.

Dunn, owner of Joe’s Glass, totally sympathized with his retail neighbor.

He had his own worries over inventory.

Guess what doesn’t travel well over lumpy, bumpy roads?

The delivery trucks that carry windshields and glass, Dunn said.

“I don’t know if they’re going to make it this week,” he said.

The UPS store at 5129 Evergreen Way hasn’t had to worry about a dearth of supplies. It’s been sleepy, said Matt Wagner.

Three customers stopped in Monday morning, where “we usually see 25 or so,” he said.

Wagner expects a crowd in the next day or two.

Lest you forget, Thursday is Valentine’s Day, and snow is not an excuse, Wagner said.

“It’s going to be a madhouse in here,” he said.

Janice Podsada; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3097; Twitter: JanicePods