The COVID-19 pandemic hit New Mexico small business owners hard, with only 60% of the state's pre-pandemic businesses still open as of late June.
According to KRQE, the hardest hit areas are still food service and accommodations, numbers tracked by the New Mexico Tourism Department show.
“I think for a business owner, one of the most difficult things was this kind of internal struggle that we all want to be safe, we all want to keep people healthy but I still have bills to pay, I still have insurance, I have rent, I have employees,” Broken Trail Brewery Owner Matt Simonds said, told by KOB4.
Simonds closed his business in November as a result of the pandemic.
Happy Accidents owner Kate Gerwin, a local business that decided to open in the middle of the pandemic, told KRQE that when they opened in April, people were excited to come out and her business was a hit, despite her place focusing on craft cocktails.
KRQE reported that even when taking into account businesses that are new or have reopened, there are still nearly 40% fewer small businesses open in New Mexico now compared to January 2020.
KOB4 and AP News reported in 2020 that businesses were closing permanently due to not being sustainable during the pandemic with no business. Smaller businesses have had trouble staying afloat. Rachel Sams, editor-in-chief of Albuquerque Business First, said that business owners who thought they might venture through found they were unable to do so when no making money.
"How is it we've had recent headlines of, 'New Mexico projects $350 million increase in state revenue'? That would be #OilandGas overachieving (again)," the New Mexico Business Coalition tweeted.
On the bright side, the tourism department reports that hotel occupancy has been at an all-time high since the pandemic started as it sits at 65%, according to KRQE.