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Bodega Owner: Coffee, Food But No Customers in 'Ghost Town'

Associated Press

   NEW YORK - The shelves are stocked, the coffee percolating at
   Deli-licious delicatessen.

   The only thing missing are the customers -- the office workers who
   would come by for breakfast or lunch, the neighborhood residents
   stopping in for a quick purchase of a drink or a snack.

   But in the days of coronavirus and sheltering in place, "it's been a
   ghost town," said Alex Batista, 28, who with his brother owns the
   bodega in the Glendale neighborhood of Queens.

   These days, "you don't get that kind of crowd," he said. "Mostly we're
   just staying open, trying to help out the community."

   They have had one consistent source of business, sadly, as the virus
   has ravaged the city, killing more people than were lost in the Sept.
   11, 2001, terror attacks: "Funeral homes guys, they usually come in too
   a lot. They're busy, too, unfortunately," he said.

   They've shortened the hours at the store, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and
   cut staff hours. When the occasional customer comes in, they maintain
   distance, bumping elbows across the sandwich counter instead of
   exchanging handshakes.

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