CORTEZ – An early January Facebook post by the owners of The Beach Shop announcing the possibility of the store’s closure brought an outpouring of community support and hope for the future.
Sharon Hanzlik and Carl Ginsburg co-own The Beach Shop at 11904 Cortez Road W. that sells beach-related gear, clothing and souvenirs. It also sells art created by about a dozen local artists.
“The purpose of that post was really just to say: ‘If we’re not here, this is why; and don’t forget small business,’” Hanzlik told The Sun on Jan. 16. “Carl finally said, ‘I have to put it out there because people are going to wonder why, if we have to shut down.’”
Carl’s Facebook read as follows:
“Cortez, It is incredibly difficult to type these words, but we promised to always be honest with you.
“Since the hurricanes, we have been fighting with everything we have to stay afloat. We held on tight, hoping that once the storms passed, things would get better. We kept telling ourselves, ‘Just one more week, things will pick up.’
“Sadly, they haven’t. In fact, things have gotten harder. We have reached a breaking point. The reality is, unless we see a major turnaround “immediately, we likely won’t make it through to next month. We don’t want to close our doors. “We love this community and we love serving you.
“How you can help: If you have ever thought about stopping by, if you need a gift, or if you just want to treat yourself – please come see us now. Come buy something (even something small helps). We aren’t ready to give up, but we can’t do this alone anymore. Thank you for sticking with us this far,” the post said.
When discussing the Facebook post, Hanzlik said, “We put the post up and people started showing up. These people care so much about the community and small business. Some people said they just needed a reminder.”
“The post really got us some business. It will keep us going until season, and then we have to gauge it from there. I know we’ll get to season, and hopefully this season is better than it was last year,” she said.
Hanzlik and Ginsberg have owned the shop since mid-2020. She said the business was doing well until just before the 2024 hurricanes.
Hanzlik said their busy season is February through mid-August.
“Last year we really didn’t have a season. Because of the hurricanes, a lot of people changed their plans. Why take the chance? If you’re only going to get one vacation this year, you want to make it good. I understand that,” she said. ‘This year, we’re fighting tooth and nail. We’re going to make it. We’re going to get out of this hole.”
Hanzlik said the other small businesses nearby have been supportive.
“We’re not alone. Small business is hard and it’s getting harder,” she said. “There’s Breezy Bakery, Tyler’s and Slicker’s. Bob Slicker made a post that says if you show one of our receipts there, you’ll get a Slicker’s souvenir cup. Isn’t that the nicest thing in the world?”
Hanzlik said she remains hopeful for the future of the shop and she’s grateful for the community’s support.
FOLLOW-UP POST
On January 14, The Beach Shop posted the following Facebook message:
“We are absolutely blown away. A few days ago, we shared the hard reality that our business was on the brink of closing. We didn’t know what to expect, but the outpouring of love and support we have received since then has been nothing short of life-changing.
To everyone who came in to buy a gift, who grabbed a souvenir or who simply stopped by to tell us to hang in there: THANK YOU.
“Your support over the last few days has bought us time. It paid some bills that were keeping us up at night. But more importantly, it reminded us why we fought so hard to be here in the first place. Please keep coming by. Please keep sharing. This battle isn’t over, but thanks to you, we finally have a fighting chance. See you at the shop!”
