“We just gotta trust that they’re making the right decisions with this outage.” — John Sanders, owner of Old Town Grill and Smith Flat House

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Dozens of shops and restaurants on Placerville’s historical Main Street went dark Wednesday morning as PG&E shut off power for millions of people in northern California.

The shut-offs, which affected more than 700,000 customers, went into effect early Wednesday morning and are expected to last through mid-day Thursday, and possibly several days after.

The light of day as well as lanterns kept open several Main Street businesses. At The Bookery customers needed a flashlight in certain corners of the store thanks to towering bookshelves blocking access to the windows.

“We opened the back door for some light and we’ve got flashlights here at the front desk for people to look around with,” said Nancy Dunk of The Bookery. “Once the sun goes down there won’t be much we can do.”

Those that stayed open were forced to resort to an age-old wealth exchange: cash.

Dunk said the bookstore encourages customers to use cash normally but the blackout limits the number of folks able to shop. Some businesses, like Sheila and Tim Kelly’s Powell’s Steamer Co. & Pub, gave up charging cashless patrons all together.

“We’re operating on the honors system,” Tim said on Wednesday. “Most of the folks here are regulars anyway. They’ll come back around with their credit cards when the power is back on.”

Without the ability to cook or pour beers, Powell’s served bottled beer and wine with cold sandwiches — a shell of the seafood restaurant’s usual menu. Still, a packed house could be found at the bar during lunch-time Wednesday. Despite the couple’s loyal customer base, the restaurant can’t hold up in these conditions for long.

“If we had a whole week with the power shut off, we’d be pretty much bankrupt,” Tim said. “We’re just trying to stay in business here. The bills don’t stop coming in even if the power is off.”

Many businesses closed altogether. The Mountain Democrat counted at least two dozen businesses on Main Street closed during normal operating hours, with most posting signs their closure was blackout-forced.

Old Town Grill and Smith Flat House owner John Sanders not only had to close his two restaurants, costing him thousands in daily revenue, but he was also forced to bring in a refrigeration truck to keep his products fresh.

“All my food and perishables are going to sit right here on Main Street until the power comes back on,” he said.

While a major inconvenience for thousands of business owners in the upper half of the state, Sanders said it’s a minor nuisance to prevent another catastrophe.

“If this saves one home or person from being destroyed or injured, it’s worth it,” Sanders said. “We just gotta trust that they’re making the right decisions with this outage.”

While many closed up shop, some business owners went to drastic measures to keep the doors open. Bowtie, the owner of Bowtie Barbershop, left Placerville at 7 a.m., Wednesday, in search of a generator. He didn’t head back up the hill until around 11.

“I drove all the way to Northgate for this thing,” Bowtie said, pointing to his generator. “I think we got the last one in all of Sacramento.”

Bowtie Barbershop’s operations took to the streets when the generator wasn’t enough to power the entire shop. For most of Wednesday, folks could be seen getting their haircut in front of the shop at 259 Main St., music blasting.

“We get paid by the cut, not by the hour,” Bowtie said. “It’s my responsibility to make sure my employees get paid and my customers get their haircut.”

Operating with flashlights and what little sunlight peaked over the building across Main Street, Placerville True Value Hardware remained open during normal business hours Wednesday. The area’s unfortunate circumstances have been a boon for the store’s business.

“Folks are desperate for lights, lanterns and batteries,” said owner Albert Fausel. “I have another order of stuff coming in tomorrow. We’ll probably sell out of that.”

Off Main Street, residents and business owners found difficulties left and right. Several gas stations in the region, like the Valero on Placerville Drive, were closed. Some operated on generators. As of Wednesday morning the Chevron on Carson Road in Camino was operating on a generator.

Many folks, like Bowtie, had to drive about 50 miles to find a generator. The Home Depot in Placerville ran out of generators Tuesday evening.

Back on Main Street, worries went beyond just making a day’s worth in profits. Before the outage, Robinson’s Pharmacy filled over a thousand prescriptions for folks to pick up over the coming days. The pharmacy is operating on generators for the time being, but there’s no telling how long those will last.