MADISON, Wis. — Restaurants and shops along Willy Street have had to adjust how they operate as customer traffic has gone down following protests that erupted after a police shooting on July 22.
The shooting death of Corey Ruiz sparked demonstrations that led to a vigil, encampment and blocked roads near Willy and Baldwin streets — just blocks away from some of the neighborhood’s most established businesses.
Lazy Jane’s Cafe, a locally owned restaurant known for its community focus, has experienced a noticeable decline in customers. Alex Gasper, manager at Lazy Jane’s, described the neighborhood as “very community oriented” with “a lot of really amazing people that live and work and own businesses on the street.”…