For today’s Q&A, we interviewed David Mandel of New Canaan Cleaners, a local business that marked 30 years in February. Located on East Maple Street and offering pickup and delivery service, the cleaners is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Here’s our exchange.
New Canaanite: How are you all doing at New Canaan Cleaners?
David Mandel: Well we have some people we have had to lay off. We have changed our hours from 9 to 4. We are still doing our routes. There is still somebody in the store. What else can I tell you? We are working the factory twice a week to produce clothing. Our factory is for four dry cleaning stores that we own together.
What’s your protocol right now?
People are on regular routes that we deliver to on a regular basis. There have been people calling to set that up. They don’t want to come into the store, so they set up home delivery. The cleaning of comforters is something that people want to do. We fully disinfect and sanitize it in all of the dry cleaning process. The trucks we sanitize every day. We use a bomb to disinfect. Our drivers use precautions. I am driving now, I had to take over for one of the drivers. We are trying to survive and keep everything clean and happy. I don’t know what to do. We are just getting by. I am doing 20% of the business I probably should be doing.
How would you gauge your ability to outlast this?
We are going to be here. If it has to be me doing everything, we will. I have some good and bad days, it’s very hard to say one week to the next week. I am supposed to be busy next week. April starts our busy season. I can pretty much forget busy season right now. We’re just trying to keep our heads afloat. But we have some good days. Our routes are strong. Busy season is when people change their wardrobe. We want to clean your winter stuff.
What’s your message to customers and New Canaanites?
My message is please support in town businesses, is my message. We are suffering. All of us. Everybody wants to get back to work. These guys are coming into the store in the middle of the day, wandering in in sweatpants and dropping off a sweater. They all want to go back to work. It’s amazing, what I see. Please support local businesses. Every single night I am taking out from a different restaurant in town. Every night. Every day I get a breakfast at Connecticut Sandwich. I wait outside, they bring me a sandwich. I don’t know what to say. I have never seen town like this before. I have been through hard times and booming times. It is a great town to do business, and we will get through this.
[Editor’s Note: In each daily newsletter this week, the New Canaanite is publishing Q&As with local business owners on how they are faring amid the COVID-19 emergency.]