Bad Axe CEO Mario Zelaya expected business to be bad, maybe 10% of the hundreds of customers he would expect to see throw axes and drink beer on a typical weekend.

“That was the worst-case scenario, especially with all the marketing we did,” Zelaya said. “The reopening weekend was a disaster. We had two customers all weekend.”…

Despite the public health and political debate, one thing is clear: The longer retailers and restaurants stay closed, the harder it will be for them to survive.

“I think every small-business owner is in the same position as we are where they’re nervous, and they’re worried, and they’re scared of public backlash,” Zelaya said. “Our only decision right now is to survive. We’ll take measures to ensure that.”