The Road Is Closed, but We’re Still Open: Constructing Friendships

The construction worker on the street should be a business owner’s best friend. Because hardhats can keep businesses not only well-informed during a time of upheaval, but even enable them to hang onto customers. 

“We are on a first-name basis with the construction crew,” said Ray Hanf, co-owner of Mission Fresh Fashion on Johnson Drive in Mission, where road construction has closed streets and limited storefront accessibility. “They keep us up to date on what and when something is going to happen, and we relay that to our customers in our email and on Facebook.”

Anton Kotar, owner of Anton’s Taproom in the Crossroads Arts District, is also dealing with road construction issues. His business is located along the future route of the under-construction Kansas City Streetcar Project, and he’s established excellent rapport with the construction workers that he sees every day. He’s even gotten them to come to him, whenever what they have to do in their jobs might hurt his sales.

“It’s very important,” Kotar said of the cooperative bond between entrepreneur and construction worker. “They come to me and say, ‘Look, we’re going to tear your water lines out in three days. Is there anything special you need?’ I say, ‘Yes, I open at 11 a.m. and have three water services coming in. Let’s dig the hole the night before, and then I’ll work with you to determine which one of the pipes is the main service that we use’—just because without water, the health department says, ‘You must close.’

“I wanted them to start with my main water service at 7 a.m., cut it, get the new piece in and get me hooked back up by 10 a.m., because the other two services I can do without. They were very good about considering my business and the aches and pains. Otherwise it would have been right in the middle of my lunch rush.”