Lights Out For Some Businesses After Storm

Monday’s storm came through in a hurry and showed little mercy as it damaged trees and power lines, causing headaches for some business owners left in the dark.

Wind gusts of “up to 80 mph” ripped through the city Monday morning, which led to widespread power outages, according to a City of Des Plaines press release. Although many regained power throughout the day, at 6 p.m. 5,800 Des Plaines residences and businesses were still without power.

Areas in the western portion of Des Plaines seemed to be hit the hardest with documented downed power lines at Maple Street and Fargo Avenue, the 1700 block of Ash St. and the 1600 block of Wolf Road.

The power outage at Wolf Road left businesses located in the Wolf Plaza shopping center forced to close their doors or improvise.

“Today I’m a barber, not a hairdresser,” said hair stylist Angalika Mazanova who was working without electricity at New Look Studio, 576 E. Oakton St. “When people have come in, I can only give them a touch-up or a trim with scissors.”

Mazanova drove by all of the downed trees on her way to work yesterday morning, saw some businesses with power and hoped for the best. However, Mother Nature hadn’t been too kind to the salon, leaving Mazanova to resort to plan B - work without power.

“I’m doing what I can with what I have,” she said. “I don’t want to tell everyone to go home. I have to at least do something.”

Though the salon was not profitable for the day, Mazanova said they still served about 10 customers and brought in a couple hundred dollars, offsetting the overall loss.

Next door to New Look Studio Sarpino’s Pizzeria, 578 E. Oakton St., was booming, thanks to the help of generators and employees determined to work despite high temperatures.

Though power was out at surrounding businesses in Wolf Plaza, phones still rang, delivery drivers pulled in-and-out of the parking lot and fresh, hot pizzas were taken out of the oven.

Instead of closing, the store’s manager Meti Scukolli rented two generators in order to get the pizzeria up and running for the day.

“With the help of the generators we’re making everything functional,” Scukolli said. “Right now, it’s hard to estimate how business will be, but I think we might even gain some customers, if not balance out.”

Scukolli, who has been managing for seven years, said he is used to improvising in times like these. During the flood in 2008 his delivery drivers maneuvered their way around town and avoided impassable streets. For Scukolli, Monday’s storm was no different.

“It’s not too big of a deal,” he said. “We will still survive.”

Other businesses closer to downtown were more fortunate.

Stephanie Krause at SuperCuts in Lee Street Commons said the store hadn’t lost power, but in terms of business it had been hit or miss.

“It’s hard to tell, it might be just too hot out there,” she said with a laugh.