Downtown Business Alerts Customers: If It’s Too Hot, We Must Close
by June 30, 2015 9:07 am 124 views
Allison Munn with our content partner, KAIT Ch. 8, reports:
High temperatures have affected some Region 8 businesses, forcing them to close up shop during the hottest hours of the day.
“If the heat index is 103-104 and it’s humid outside, we have no choice but to close down,” Kori Garner told Region 8 News. “It’s just so hot.”
Garner is one of the owners of Partovi’s Gyro and Falafel in downtown Jonesboro.
The business alerted their customers last week that if it’s too hot, they must close from 2-5 p.m. The business is usually open on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
The food truck, located on Main Street, is about to celebrate their first year in business and Garner said if they learned anything last summer, it’s that things heat up quick.
Though there’s an air conditioner inside, if they’re busy, there are likely two deep fryers, a grill and a rotisserie with open flames going all at once in less than 100 square feet of space.
“It was dangerous. There was heat exhaustion, nausea, lots of symptoms for heat exhaustion, heat stroke. It was a real threat,” Garner said. “People don’t think that it’s a big deal because you’re in an area with an air conditioner but it’s more dangerous in there than it is sitting out here.”
Garner said it’s often 15-20 degrees hotter inside than outside but they should be getting a second A/C unit any day.
Garner said she hopes that keeps things bearable so they won’t have to close for a few hours on hot days.
Garner said they post to their Facebook page often with updates on any weather related issues that might force them to close.