California's shelter-in-place order hit right as businesses in Murphys were coming out of the slowest part of the year.
“The next five months or six months is when everybody makes their money,” said local resident Bob Russell, who manages a nearby golf club. “You try to make it and break even or not lose too much, then try to make it around next year to this time again.”
The town’s rebound will likely start with the 164-year-old Murphys Hotel. But other businesses, like Doke Sushi, might not bounce back.
Over the past six years, Josh Steck built the small Japanese restaurant into a local favorite. Now, Steck said he’s lost 90% of his business. Locals are trying to support the restaurants, but without visitors, it’s hard to make do.
“I’m not quite sure we could make it through the summer,” Steck said. “We don’t have the money and resources to weather it through this stuff and we’re the last ones to ever get aid.”
If businesses lose tourist traffic the entire summer, it could have a long-term impact. Steck believes that with so many small businesses struggling, the personal touch — the exact thing that attracts visitors to Murphys — could be lost for good.
Historian Judith Marvin thinks it’s going to be a while before Murphys can rebound. Her study of the town’s history leads her to believe the busts usually last much longer than the booms.
“I think we have to reinvent ourselves. As does everyone,” Marvin said. “And it’s not going to be mining.”
But Russell still has a pioneer mindset about the situation.
“I’m born and raised Californian and I've always been a big believer that California always overcomes things,” Russell said. “I think it will survive.”
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In Murphys, an Iconic Gold Rush Hotel Lies Silent For the First Time in 164 Years - KQED
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