HOUSTON — Butted up against Brays Bayou, owners of Three Brothers Bakery would not have guessed when they opened six decades ago that three would be such a pivotal number.
Three floods in less than three years. More than three feet of water, taking out the bakery which raced to re-open about three weeks after Harvey.
And even with cupcakes flying out the door, owners Bobby and Janice Jucker say business is down about 25 percent.
“People are still not in their houses,” Bobby said. “They’re not back to where they, where they were. They’re just not spending money at the bakery. They’re worried about couches, and chairs and tables and socks. You know, their lives are just turned upside down.”
After receiving a national award for disaster recovery, the Juckers are hoping their tragic trifecta motivates people to shop.
“If a small business ships, you’re going to shop online anyway,” Janice Jucker said. “If you’re from out-of-town, find a business in a disaster zone and buy from them.”
She said if everybody in the country did that, think about what it would do for the financially devastated economy.
“It would help lift it,” Janice said.
“And if everybody in the country did that, think about what that would do for that financially devastated economy. It would help lift it.
Three Brothers is hoping their idea catches on. They say a big announcement could happen within the next three weeks.
But after surviving three floods, there’s comfort in knowing we’re all stronger than before.
A group of college professors are studying how disasters really affect local businesses. The best way you can get back on your feet is to rely on your insurance or take out a loan.
But maybe there’s another way to help.
You can find that study here.