Fayetteville businesses work to reopen after snowstorm

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Several parts of Fayetteville were blanketed with between four and five inches of snow on Sunday, forcing city offices to close and leaving local businesses working to recover from the winter storm.

Along Hay Street, crews and business owners spent Monday morning clearing sidewalks and entrances as they prepared to reopen. At Pierro's Italian Bistro, the sound of shovels scraping against pavement echoed outside the restaurant as staff worked to remove lingering snow and ice.

"We want to get open as fast as possible," said Joe Velasquez.

He said the restaurant remained open Saturday despite the snowfall, but worsening conditions forced it to close Sunday, resulting in lost revenue. To make up for the closure, the business planned to reopen Monday afternoon with just four employees instead of its usual twelve.

"Staying closed is is difficult knowing that, you know, we have employees to pay. We have, you know, all of our bills that we have to take care of," Velasquez said.

Pierro's Italian Bistro has operated on Hay Street for 21 years, serving traditional Italian dishes such as pasta and pizza. In an effort to reopen quickly, Velasquez enlisted help from family and friends, including his son.

A friend also joined in, helping break up ice that formed as temperatures fluctuated.

"It was still light and fluffy, but it's just the bottom layer now is ice because of the melting and all that. So and that's why we got this little grinder thing. It helps kind of just break it all up and get all the ice off," said Hayden Yeager.

Despite the push to reopen, Velasquez said safety remains the top priority for both staff and customers.

"What's really important about opening is making sure that our community is safe and that our clientele are able to come in just like normal," he said.

Pierro's Italian Bistro planned to reopen at 4 p.m. Monday, five hours later than its normal opening time.

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