TACOMA, Wash. — More than four months after 17 Tacoma busiesses lost power for two weeks, shop owners along Pacific Avenue celebrated Small Business Saturday with an eye toward the rest of the holiday shopping season.
The businesses were without electricity between July 8 and July 22 after a deadly crash disrupted electricity.
"We've had our struggles, but today we're here, all cylinders firing. There's been a good turnout, people are down here supporting storefronts that have survived," said R.R. Anderson, co-owner of Tinkertopia, a used arts, crafts and children's specialty shop.
On Saturday afternoon, customers spiraled through the small, zany store filled with an assortment of novelty items.
"It makes a big difference. We do have a core of hardened supporters that through the rough patches will always show up for us," Anderson said.
In the corner of the shop is the "tinkerspace," a dedicated area for school age kids to build and explore their creativity.
Families pay for access and on this particular day, the entire space was occupied.
"They're building away," Anderson pointed out. "We've been getting good, brisk foot traffic through here... A lot of shoppers down here collecting things for the holidays, so yeah, we're doing pretty good. Hanging in there."