The owner of The Chocolate Dipper on South Main Street in Salinas says sales are down 90 percent pre-COVID-19 and government loans have failed to come through. Lacking $25,000 to cover expenses, owner Tina Vanderpluym says he must close the popular chocolate shop.
When the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order was enacted in March, Vanderpluym said she thought she would be able to remain in business by applying for the federal paycheck protection program. That money has yet to arrive and without it unpaid store expenses will force to store to close.
Sales used to average about $55,000 a month at The Chocolate Dipper. Now, the owner says they are less than $5,000-a-month.
