GARDEN GROVE, Calif. – Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, business hasn’t been as usual for Mia Kagehiro’s family-owned motel, the Morada Inn and Suites in Garden Grove.

“We are disinfecting our lobby every day at a higher frequency, every half an hour. All of our remotes, handles just to keep germs, contamination at its minimum,” Kagehiro said.

While Kagehiro is focused on keeping the motel clean, she’s also trying to manage her family-business through this financial storm as less people travel to the area.

“Business has been hard during this time with all of the cancelations of Anaheim Convention Center and Disneyland being closed. We’ve definitely seen a large decrease in business,” Kagehiro said

In an effort to provide a safer environment for all guests, Kagehiro began looking into ways the motel could promote social distancing in high-traffic areas.

Enter Omri Avdi and three other cofounders who launched a new business dedicated to creating social distancing stickers for businesses like Kagehiro’s as they try and navigate their way through the new safety measures. The stickers are now in use in in major grocery stores, airlines and small businesses. 

“Businesses are trying to do everything they can to address their current challenges. This is just one component of them. So I’m just happy that we can help in that way,” Avdi said.

With increased disinfecting and social distancing stickers in place, Kagehiro is hopeful that these new measures will keep the motel free of COVID-19.

“It’s more important now because we don’t want to spread COVID and we want to remain open and a safe place for people to come and stay,” Kagehiro said.

Kagehiro and her staff will continue to do what they can to keep the motel clean as the state slowly moves toward reopening.