ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. — COVID-19 arrived in Kentucky at the worst time for some industries. For those who outfit customers for weddings and proms, spring is essential.
What You Need To Know
- Vaccines have provided hope, especially for businesses most impacted by COVID-19
- USA Bridal in Elizabethtown changed its business in response to the pandemic
- Now, the company is seeing a rebound as weddings and proms resume
- The store, which previously had to cut employees, is now hiring again
Now that April has returned and vaccines have provided hope, we went back to check on USA Bridal – a massive, locally owned warehouse filled with dress clothes.
When we met married owners Bobbie Crabtree and Bucky McQueen last March, the warehouse was dark and an entire year’s work was hanging on by a thread.
"We pulled ourselves together and looked for the silver lining and, well, I think we found it," McQueen said.
"We changed a lot of things about the business," Crabtree added, as the pair stood in front of rows of hundreds of tuxedo jackets suspended by wire hangers.
Crabtree said, over the past year, they were forced to cut some staff and move the showroom to appointment-only access for customers. They have set up a call center upstairs in a large office space to handle any appointments and concerns and leave salespeople downstairs free to work the floor. She said, despite the building's size, they allow a limited number of customers inside at the same time, and no children are allowed.
As we spoke, two young men were taking a step toward young adulthood.
The Crump twins, Jon and Joshua, were picking out tuxedos and shoes for an upcoming prom, despite being freshmen.
With mother Beth in tow, the Crumps were a welcome sight in the shop. The fact that they were able to plan for such an extravagant event after the year they've faced couped up at home, Beth was happy as well.
"It’s been a challenge to say the least," she said, with her boys nodding next to her. "I mean, they’ve been at home a lot. They’ve done really well though, as far as their academics and things like that. They’re self-learners and motivators."
With peak prom and wedding seasons returning as vaccinations ramp up, Crabtree and McQueen are thinking positively about a rebound this year. They’re even hiring again.
"With some of the changes that we made, I think if we can just live through the rest of the pandemic I think we’ll be fine," Crabtree smiled.
"We’re an optimistic bunch."