Small grocery store owners say the return of SNAP benefits has come not a moment too soon after a difficult month of turning customers away when their EBT cards showed empty balances.
Inside the Green Valley grocery store, a line at the checkout was a welcome sight.
With benefits restored, stores across the borough are breathing a sigh of relief after weeks of customers with full carts being unable to pay. Some store owners even dipped into their own pockets to help.
“I let my customer take the stuff, and he owes me now. I know he has kids, all the stuff he was buying is for the kids for school but you know. It hurts, it hurts the business,” said Naji, owner of Organic Market Green Grocery in Bay Ridge.
Baris Avci, who owns Green Valley Store, said he tried to help when customers came up short. “If someone asks, they don't have food, we have some to give, we do not mind,” Avci said.
Bushwick Green Grocery reported its biggest sales slump since opening three years ago, forcing staff to go part-time.
“It was at least a 10% loss. And some days we would have 150 people, we had 50, that's 100 people we lost per day,” Avci said. “The businesses came down, but our expenses stay high.”
Avci added that shoplifting increased during the downturn despite cameras in place.
Still, he said he is glad people are once again able to get what they need.
“This week it's back like before, but at the beginning of November it was almost nothing,” Avci said. “They didn't come for ten days or more. They start to come back.”
He tells us all staff are back to working full-time, though the month-long pause is still being felt, as customers are not buying more now to offset the month-long slump.
"We still feel it, the rent is the same, all the prices for the shipping go up," he said.
He tells News 12 the silver lining has been increased efforts from stores like his to donate to local food pantries and community fridges, something he says won't slow down even as SNAP is back.
"We had so many organizations reach out, and as long as they need we will help," he said.
Store owners hope the recovery continues as SNAP benefits remain in place.
