Road to recovery: Businesses hurt during construction are coming through

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - The Construction on 17th and Woodruff is finally over, as the city celebrated the reopening of the intersection on Oct. 5.

The owners at Red Clover in the shopping center on Woodruff before you reach the intersection shared how July was their most challenging month, putting them in danger of closing. But shortly after that, they shared how things started to pick up.

"After July, people just were like, we can't wait any longer. And then they would start coming in because July historically has been a better month and was one of the worst in our years here. And so, August got a little bit better and September was so people were kind of starting to see the end of it and then starting to gain hope and trying and trying to venture themselves and get themselves in," said Liesl Vosika, one of the owners of Red Clover.

Vosika shared how they have a few events coming up that they hope to stir up more business. However, until those events, things are already starting to pick up for them.

"We're still kind of trying to get restarted, so. But more, more good days, than difficult days in the last week," Vosika said.

Lorita Kahn, the manager at Gandolfo's, shared how while they were hurting during the construction things are already starting to pick up.

"When the street opened back up, the floodgates opened and we're. We're busy again, so we like that," Kahn said.

Kahn said how the store is looking forward to hosting charitable events once again now that the construction project is complete. She says they have one coming up for Breast Cancer on Friday from 5-8.

But overall things for Gandolfo's is picking up.

"We're doing quite a bit of business, so we're doing good," Kahn said.

We also spoke with another business in the area that shared how since the reopening of the intersection, they too have seen an increase in their sales.