Since the floods, the San Saba News & Star has been updating our readers on many businesses in town and how they are doing since the flood.
There is another side we would like to share with you. There are many businesses that were not directly effected by the flood. Their business was not flooded. They did not lose any merchandise. Their employees are safe and were not personally effected for the most part.
However, San Saba small businesses have been indirectly effected by the flood. The customer traffic has slowed tremendously.
I personally had two different people (from different parts of the state) call me during the flood to say they heard that ALL of San Saba was evacuated! Sometimes news that comes out first is not exactly accurate. Because of this false idea that the entire town of San Saba shut down after the flood, tourist traffic has been very scarce. Businesses are still having people call them from out of town to see if they are open yet - when they never closed!
San Saba has had so many folks come in from out of town to help out - feeding people, handing out water, boxes, and many other much-needed items. It has been such a blessing.
However, some of that help has hurt our small businesses. Here is just one example: If a food truck sets up and gives out free food to anyone who wants it, that means those people are not going to local restaurants to eat. True, flood victims will not be able to pay for restaurant meals at the moment. But, some of the other folks who were fed could have afforded it and may have even been on their way to a restaurant when they saw the sign for “free food.”
What is the point? Small businesses want you to know - San Saba is open for business!