"It was terrifying," said the 44-year-old Parks, who had been in business for only six months before the crisis hit.
She took advantage of as many programs as she could — state funding, and Economic Injury Disaster Loan and the Paycheck Protection Program. Yet it wasn't enough to cover all of her overhead costs, including rent, insurance and utilities.
In April, she slowly started to reopen: one night a week and at a very small capacity — making enough to pay for the staff, musicians and inventory for the evening.
Lucius Pham
xBk, a performance theater in Des Moines, Iowa was closed for more than a year during the pandemic.