TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — At the end of June, Seunghwan Lee will be closing his grocery store New Seoul Oriental Market.
"One-third of my life is here," said Lee. "But I was so blessed with many good customers, like family."
Lee said New Seoul Oriental Market hasn't been drawing in business since the beginning of the pandemic, losing about 70 percent of it within a year.
Using money from his restaurant Korean BBQ and more to keep the store afloat, Lee said it was time to say goodbye to the market.
"It's a little sad, but I can see my customers on the restaurant side," said Lee.
New Seoul isn't the only business in Tallahassee that can't hang on any longer. Cory's Country Kitchen, Pappas Diner, and Riksha Tacos have all closed their doors within the past month.
The Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce said some businesses are having record years, while others like the four mentioned, are no longer operating.
"What COVID brought, and the ability to really come out of that is it has been really challenging and unfortunately some businesses have not made it," said Sue Dick of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce.
Most businesses don't alert their chamber that their closing-- making numbers of closed businesses hard to know-- but Dick from the said if we want our businesses to stay open, we have to start shopping local.
If you're a small business that needs help during the pandemic-- there are three chambers in Tallahassee that have multiple programs on getting you through the pandemic:
