Some Kosciusko County businesses still thriving amid pandemic

KOSCIUSKO, Ind.—Many businesses and restaurants nationwide, and here at home, are struggling to stay afloat due to COVID-19 challenges.

However, Kosciusko County officials said others are thriving.

“It’s been tough for a lot of businesses. We have a a full range of how people are doing some are suffering more than others no question, and others are doing really quite well,” Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rob Parker.

“We have seen closings yes, not many. But what’s awesome, what’s spectacular in all of this is we are seeing growth also. We know new restaurants are opening, we know businesses that have used this time to remodel their business, to improve it. We’ve had restaurants in particular tell us their ahead of sales then from where they were last year,” Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jill Boggs said.

There are still a lot of unknowns, fueling ongoing economic concerns.

“We’ve seen business improve over time and I anticipate that continue. Everyone’s concern is how long does this last, how big is the surge, when’s the second wave. Those uncertainties is what kill business,” Parker said

“I think everyone is working within their realm of their business, their organization, their structure. We need to not second doubt that they’re not making the best decisions for their businesses,” Boggs said.

Kosciusko County is taking measures to help out and ease some of the stress in whatever way it can.

“Every organization has reached out to try and do things to make it easier for businesses to connect to their customers. The chamber specifically, we’ve put together a couple Facebook groups that have over 10,000 members that are able to share what their doing and how they can get their products to the customers,” Parker said.

Officials said that the next step is to get things back to how they used to be.

“Getting back to where we were in’s 2019. I’m confident all of them have strong recovery plans all of them are looking at reorganization. They’re looking at how can we re-get people, consumers comfortable coming back to our destination to reengage,” Boggs said.

“It will be slow but I think we’re seeing movement toward that.”

Officials tell ABC57 that even more businesses are planning to open up in the downtown Warsaw area in the near future.