ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Hoagies Cafe in Orangeburg has been dishing out subs and ice cream since the 70s. Like many other small businesses, Hoagies is looking for community support during "Small Business Week to bounce back from the negative impact the pandemic has had."
"It has impacted us in a lot of ways," Hoagies' Owner Patty McLean said. "Here recently, I cannot find employees to come and work. It's been hit or miss during the beginning of the pandemic when everything was shutting down. Sales dropped tremendously, but thank God we were able to keep going here. A lot of my friends who own local businesses had to shut down."
Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce president James McQuilla says the chamber of commerce is participating in this year's 'National Small Business Week.'
"It's good that we are celebrating small businesses and sharing information about who they are and why they are important," said McQuilla. "However, it's more important that we actually emphasize using those businesses this year."
McQuilla says the theme this year is promotion.
"We want to promote what they do, how they can benefit any customer, client, or community member," explained McQuilla. "Also, make sure they know there are ways they can continue to grow."