Back in Business: Montclair neighborhood stores reopen after power shutoffs
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Support your local neighborhood store. That's what businesses affected by the power shutoffs are asking customers to do. Some lost thousands of dollars and are struggling to survive.
In the meantime, the sound of a silent generator was most appreciated in the Montclair neighborhood in Oakland.
With the recent power shutdowns Jeff Diamond of Farmstead Cheeses and Wines had much to complain about.
"It's like that book 'Who Moved My Cheese.' Well, I moved my cheese," he told us.
All of Diamond's cheese had to be moved to either his other store in Alameda or to a few wine refrigerators in the back of the store.
"We had to move all of the bottles and if you pan over there you'll see all the bottles from each of these refrigerators, and then moved all the cheeses from the case down below into these refrigerators," added Diamond.
LIST: Areas affected by PG&E power shutdown
A minor inconvenience, he says, compared to what people up in the North Bay are going through.
He experienced about $6,000 in lost revenue.
Outside a Safeway store, people seemed to follow the old advice, 'When it doubt, throw it out.'
MAPS: Bay Area cities affected by PG&E power shutdown
"Because you don't want to get sick on top of everything else that is going on," Atu Fields of Oakland.
We surveyed people to see what they were buying on Wednesday.
"Oh, I just bought some more yogurt," Brenda Winston of Oakland showed us.
"More water, more water, that's the first thing I'm going to buy and a good steak for dinner tonight," added Kevin Kelly who was shopping at Safeway.
People had much to say about the lessons learned from the recent events.
TIMELINE: When will power go out in Bay Area, Northern California
"Get a generator," said one woman.
"When they tell you they are going to turn it off, believe them and get prepared," said Karen Ross of Montclair.
"To be patient" expressed Cristania Gourdet.
"The experts say that this is the last one of this season. I hope they're right but I don't know many small businesses that could afford three of these," maintained Diamond.
For the latest stories about PG&E's Public Safety Power Shutoff go here.
