GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The severe winter weather that’s pummeled Grand Rapids has put a financial squeeze on several retailers and restaurants, with subzero temperatures and heavy snowfall cutting one bakery’s foot traffic and sales to a trickle.
“Our cash savings are dwindling pretty quickly,” said Jenna Olson, the marketing manager at Field & Fire, a Grand Rapids-based bakery with two locations and a café. “Our staff is really hurting from not making as many tips, and we’re hurting.”
She said sales are down 30% in January, a significant blow for a small business with a narrow profit margin…