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An Unusually Slow New Year’s Day For Pasadena Businesses: ‘Our Goal Is To Survive’
Colorado Blvd. was quiet on New Year's Day for the first time in decades. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
Last year, Lêberry Bakery on Colorado Boulevard was open for a full 24-hours leading up to the Rose Parade on New Year's Day. Owner Jennifer Le says people waited up to two hours for one of their signature vegan donuts.
“That one day made a huge difference for our business last year,” Le said.
This morning, Colorado Boulevard was quiet, save for several dozen classic cars cruising the normally closed streets.
The Tournament of Roses estimates the economic impact of the game and the parade at almost $200 million with most of those dollars spent on accommodations and food.
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For local businesses, the projected loss caps nine months of pandemic-induced hardship. Le said before the most recent surge of COVID-19 cases, Lêberry was just starting to see an increase in take-out orders for pies and cakes.
“Our goal is to survive,” Le said. “It's not to make money. It's to survive at this point, to ensure that our employees have a job.”
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