The story of OatMeals, a Greenwich Village hot cereal bar, shows how the damage inflicted on businesses might cast a long shadow on the future of the U.S. economy.

By

April 22, 2020

Samantha Stephens realized her longtime dream eight years ago, opening an oatmeal bar in Greenwich Village where customers can build bowls with toppings that range from chia seeds and berries to bacon and poached eggs. Now, the coronavirus has left the little company fighting for its life.

Ms. Stephens had methodically prepared to jump into New York’s competitive dining scene, attending culinary school at night while working full time as an investment bank executive assistant. When she did, she turned an initial loan into a small but solid business, one that pulls in about $45,000 in revenue each month.

But her shop, OatMeals, a 380-square-foot cubby that offers oat-themed pastries and 30 set bowls — among them “The Hot Date” and “Truffle RisOATto” — has suffered a serious blow amid quarantines. It has forced Ms. Stephens to make tough choices. Her story is one of many but shows why the damage inflicted on businesses today might cast a long shadow on the future of the U.S. economy.

Below is a diary of the decisions she has made, the hurdles along the way, and what lies ahead.

Friday, March 6

The Last Day of Normalcy

“The shop is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, so my staff and I are there by 6:15. We get in early and start cooking the hot oatmeal and baking the fresh oatmeal pastries. We open at 7 a.m. — our main rush is 8:15, 8:30 to 10:30. That’s our big, busy rush. The deliveries start coming in, and we’ve got multiple tablets,” she said, explaining that the devices keep the oatmeal baristas posted on takeout orders, which are very popular. “They all start chirping and buzzing at us.”