COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ever since the pandemic, businesses have been struggling.

“It’s hard, it’s very hard,” said Pastaria owner, Don Ziliak.

The North Market used to be a place bustling with eager Columbus residents ready to eat and support local businesses, but that’s not the case as much anymore.

“We do as much as we can with less,” Ziliak said.

He said his business is down by at least 40% because of the pandemic.

“You know, people just didn’t come don’t come back to work in the numbers that they did in the you know, before COVID, you had 30,000 people working downtown five days a week, and now we may have 10 total for the whole week,” Ziliak said. “So obviously that percentage-wise, that’s going to affect your foot traffic in the area tremendously.”

The construction downtown has reduced his clientele even more.

“Then we started the construction outside the market where they’re building the hotel and condos and such, and I feel like because people aren’t sure and where to park (has) probably reduced traffic another 20 to 25%,” he said.

Although his business is down, he’s been working extra hours and asking his family to help. He’s also had to raise his prices.

“I work as much as I did when I started the business 30 years ago," he said. "I'm here usually at least part of the day, seven days a week, and I’m working all day long at least three or four days a week."

Ziliak also said that, because of the pandemic and the construction, residents think that the market is closed.

“Literally a week doesn’t go by that I don’t hear somebody, when we’re in a social setting, somebody says, ‘Oh, I heard the market was closed, and we’re not closed,’” Ziliak said.

Because of the pandemic hitting small businesses like Pastaria the hardest, the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation is providing a solution by providing an incentive called the Downtown Ground Floor Growth Initiative. It offers rent support and other benefits to small businesses downtown.