It’s been slow. But at least it’s moving now.

El Reno as a whole is creeping back to normal.

This includes businesses like boutique shops, hair salons and restaurants. The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with problems in the oil industry, hurt businesses all over the county.

Many mom and pop shops were forced to close their doors, making income difficult to come by. Some stores found a solution through curbside assistance, delivery and online ordering options.

Even so, the income gained over these weeks of uncertainty wasn’t quite what owners wanted it to be. Now that they’ve been allowed to open, the revenue is climbing. But it’s still a hard road for many. Main Street Director Shana Ford said that the businesses together are making 75 percent less money than they made last spring.

She attributes this to a system that was already suffering from an undulating oil market before being subjected to an economy-destroying pandemic.

Ford stressed that without a steady revenue for small businesses, the community suffers.

“It hurts our tax-based economy for the city’s infrastructure when people don’t shop locally. I think people forget about that.”

The cancellation of Burger Day also caused businesses to suffer. Ford said that the tradition is an important day for the town because of the money it brought in to businesses and to Main Street itself.

The festival raises funds for Main Street, which in turn goes back into the businesses through the coordination of other events.

In spite of what’s happened, Ford sees good news on the horizon. She said that while some businesses may be slower than usual, they are on their way back to normalcy. She’s proud that they’ve managed to provide new items for customers, and she is impressed by their innovative approach with online sales and curbside service.

“Our businesses have stepped up to be innovative, from restaurants to merchants and gyms. I’m so proud of them.”

Each business is seeing success in varying degrees. Some of them are doing quite well under the circumstances. Hot Mess Station, a boutique owned by Morgan Schwarz, is seeing a good number of customers.

“The first few days have been pretty great, really,” said Schwarz.

“And the Facebook Live sales have done really well.”

Even when the store was closed, items were still sold through online orders and live stream sales. Now that the doors are open to the public, Hot Mess is putting safety first, sanitizing all items that come in from the vendors. Schwarz said that clothes will also be sanitized if people try them on in the changing rooms.

Hot Mess Station’s inventory will be bigger than it was during the break. For a time, the store’s vendors were unable to provide new products, but they’ve now gone back to their usual arrangement. The store is bringing in items like new summer clothing, and curbside pickup is still available.

A couple of businesses have chosen not to open yet. One of them is The Legacy Collection, an antique store.

The other is Our Glass, a wine lounge and delicatessen. The restaurant has chosen to stay closed for the time being. Owner Colin Forsey said that it would be difficult for people to maintain a safe distance from each other in the dining area.

“We’re going to wait and see,” he said. “We’ll do what’s best for our staff and our customers.”

Our Glass is expected to open back up at a later date.

Along with other projects, Forsey uses the restaurant as a music venue for growing artists, and he hopes that El Reno will eventually be able to enjoy live music again.

Despite the pandemic, some new businesses are opening up. At the beginning of May, MaCrae Putnam opened a new fabric store called Make it Sew. Located where Kaye’s used to be, the store sells all manner of fabrics, sewing and knitting supplies and books about threadwork.

Putnam moved from Washington to El Reno a year ago. She’s wanted to open a quilting and sewing shop for a while.

“We had been talking about this spot in December and January,” Putnam said.

“We were already in motion, so we decided, here we go.”

A grand opening ceremony is tentatively set for June. Putnam also hopes to host quilting and sewing classes and workshops in the near future.

Through it all, each business is doing the best they can. They’re getting help and encouragement from their customers and from Main Street. Ford said the most important thing is that people shop locally.

In addition, Ford is hopeful for federal help through Main Street lending programs. Ford said that with the most recent loan and assistance programs, businesses were forced to take out big loans that would be difficult to pay back.

Now, there’s a possibility that businesses will be able to get smaller and more affordable loans. Eligibility for loans is expanding, and there are federal plans in the works to help small businesses in other ways. If businesses need help navigating the aid process, they can reach out to Ford.

She said that she sees strength in local business owners and in the city as a whole.

“It’s all been devastating, but I think we’re strong as a community and as a state. It won’t be easy - we will have to work hard and work together to be prosperous. We’re a team, from the merchants to the city government.”

El Reno’s movie theater, Reno Cinema 8, is also wading in murky waters, as are theaters across the nation. Managed by B&B Theatres and owned by Curtis Blanc, the theater has been closed for weeks. Blanc said he’s uncertain what the future holds.

“Where we’re going from here, I have no idea,” he said.

Movie studios have stopped releasing movies to theaters, and there is speculation that online streaming formats will become more and more popular.

Blanc said that if studios did release major films, he doesn’t think they would be box office smashes due to people staying at home. But he said it was possible that B&B may decide to show hit movies from the past. For now, it’s too early to tell.

One thing the theater has been doing is selling popcorn and concessions from the curb on Fridays and Saturdays. Customers order and pay online and Blanc said the service has proven quite popular.

The El Reno theater, like many theaters, already had a complicated relationship with movie executives and distributors before the pandemic hit. Blanc said small-town theaters tend to get left behind in some areas.

Sometimes, theaters will screen movies weeks early for a special limited release. But the small-town theaters often don’t get that chance.

El Reno Bowl is also unsure of what’s on the horizon. Closed since April 23, the owners were told they could open up May 15. However, Brent Gates, one of the co-owners, said that due to concerns over the virus, they may hold off until June 1 or later. He said he doesn’t want any of the staff or the customers to catch the virus.